TLDEF Statement on SCOTUS Decision to Hear LGBTQ Employment Discrimination Cases

(NEW YORK, NY - April 22, 2019) - TLDEF responded to news today that the Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear a case involving a Michigan transgender woman named Aimee Stephens who was fired from her job at a funeral home because she is transgender (R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).

SCOTUS will also take up the cases of individuals who were fired on the basis of their sexual orientation, a skydiving instructor in New York and a child welfare coordinator in Georgia (Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda and Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia ).

TLDEF Executive Director Andy Marra issued this statement on the Court’s decision to hear the cases:

“In agreeing to hear the case of Aimee Stephens, the Supreme Court now holds the fate of 1.4 million transgender people in its hands. Transgender people continue to face tremendous rates of violence and discrimination in America. No one in this country should be fearful of losing their job simply because of who they are. We hope the Court affirms existing case law to ensure that everyone in this country is able to maintain a job free of discrimination.”

Updated on Jul 13, 2021