Transgender advocate: Supreme Court jobs ruling is ‘watershed moment’

An advocate for transgender equality in America calls this week’s Supreme Court ruling on LGBT workplace protections a “watershed moment” for America, especially its gay community.

“This ranks right up there with marriage equality,” said Gina Duncan, Director of Transgender Equality at Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group.  “And I love the way [the Justices] made it unequivocal.”

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also protects LGBT workers.  The provision bars job discrimination because of "sex."

“Finally, they’ve codified the definition of what ‘sex’ really means and those that it impacts when people discriminate based on that,” Duncan said.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, an appointee of President Trump, wrote the majority opinion for the nation’s high court. Duncan said she was surprised when she read that.

“It also gives us hope that there are people who are evolving, people who are seeing the changes in society,” she said.

Some experts believe the ruling could make it difficult for federal, state and local non-discrimination policies to exclude the LGBT community.  Duncan hopes it will have a ripple effect in society.

Duncan said she and others at Equality Florida are still working on Florida's Competitive Workforce Act, which was first introduced in 2009.  It would prohibit discrimination against the LGBTQ community in Florida in areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.   It has never been up for a major vote.

“And we’re calling on Governor DeSantis now to issue an executive order clarifying and codifying that the state follows suit, in reference to the Supreme Court, and will provide non-discrimination protections based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Listen to Gina Duncan below:

(App users tap here to listen)