Landmark Decision Extending LGBTQIA+ Protections
Bethesda, MD, June 15, 2020 – MAEC applauds the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision today holding that federal law prohibits employment discrimination against LGBTQIA+ workers. The ruling was based on the interpretation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which forbids employment discrimination based on “an employee’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” While this ruling applies to the workplace, we, at MAEC, are hopeful that the benefits to the LGBTQIA+ community will trickle down into schools and classrooms, where educators and students often face discriminatory repercussions for identifying as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Given recent events, we, as a society, needed this positive news for people who all too often face discrimination or worse. This decision is historic for LGBTQIA+ people in general, and for LGBTQIA+ people of color in particular, who are most likely to be terminated from employment because of their LGBTQIA+ affiliation,” said Susan Shaffer, MAEC President.
MAEC works at the complex intersections of race, socioeconomic status, gender/gender identity, religion, ethnicity, and language to address and eliminate underlying biases and discrimination in communities that surround educational environments to ensure safe spaces for diverse student populations. “Today’s ruling is truly a win for all communities who face discrimination. I am absolutely elated by this step in the right direction. LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights,” said Shaffer.
Find out more about MAEC at www.maec.org.
