The Archive
Reference Library
The founding document as written, a plain overview of the seven Articles, and a glossary of archaic and legal terms.
Back to Supreme Court Rulings
LGBTQ+ Rights
Bostock v. Clayton County
Decided: 2020
In brief
Held that federal employment discrimination law's ban on sex discrimination covers discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Court's ruling in depth
Justice Gorsuch, writing for a 6–3 majority, held that Title VII's prohibition on discrimination 'because of ... sex' necessarily encompasses discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity: it is 'impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.' Bostock is the most consequential LGBTQ+ workplace-rights decision in American history.