15 Jun Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Title VII of Civil Rights Act
Posted at 21:19h
in
Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Title VII of Civil Rights Act
Decision In Favor of Nondiscrimination Protections for LGBTQ+ Employees “Stunning”
(Austin, Texas) Today, in a historic 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has included LGBTQ+ workers in protections granted by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
“This is a stunning opinion,” says Austin attorney Gary Schumann, who is a member of the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “We could not have asked for more. However, what we have to watch for ahead is that some employers may try to seek religious exemption from this rule.”
Via the Chamber’s Advocacy Committee, Schumann has recruited panelists from Austin’s legal community to explain in an upcoming webinar what the Supreme Court ruling means to employers and employees.
“We’ve been in a holding pattern for months waiting for this decision,” says Chamber Executive Director Tina Grider-Cannon. “Now that it’s here–and especially since the opinion of a very conservative court is in the favor of equal protections for our members and our LGBTQ+ workforce–we are happily mobilizing to educate our business community about the benefits of this decision. These protections are good for the bottom line, not just with talent recruitment but also allowing employees to bring their ‘whole self’ to work.”
Today’s Supreme Court decision makes it illegal to fire LGBTQ+ employees by including sexual orientation and gender identity in protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on “sex.” Schumann warns some employers may seek religious exemption to the rule but hopes the fact that many churches already recognize LGBTQ+ rights may guard against that argument.
To learn more, please register for the Chamber’s webinar at AustinLGBTChamber.com .Webinar set for Monday. June 22nd at 5:30pm. Or on facebook.
Our very own Executive Director shared her thoughts with KVUE today regarding the recent employment non-discrimination decision by SCOTUS today.
US Supreme Court extends civil rights law to LGBTQ workers-KLBJ
The Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce is very pleased with the US Supreme Court’s landmark civil rights ruling this week. The court ruled that you cannot be fired for being gay or transgender under existing federal anti-discrimination laws. The Chamber’s Tina Cannon says it’s a great day.
“In my early years, it was one of my greatest fears to be outed at my workplace and to lose my livelihood. And today that is no longer true. It’s a great day to be exactly who you are and to be fully American,” says Cannon.
Prior to the ruling, many Austin companies understood letting people be who they are helped them collect top workforce talent. She sees this as an opportunity to get the rest on board.