US top court to weigh in on gay, transgender rights

By : AFP

Date: 22 April 2019 4:31pm WAT

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(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 30, 2017 two women are wrapped into a rainbow flag as they attend a rally of gays and lesbians in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The same-sex partners of EU citizens have the right to live in any member state whatever their nationality, the bloc's top court ruled on June 5, 2018, even in countries that do not recognise gay marriage. "Although the Member States have the freedom whether or not to authorise marriage between persons of the same sex, they may not obstruct the freedom of residence of an EU citizen by refusing to grant his same-sex spouse, a national of a country that is not an EU Member State, a derived right of residence in their territory," the court said. / AFP PHOTO / Tobias SCHWARZ

The US Supreme Court said Monday it will take up the question of whether gay and transgender workers are protected by federal law that bars discrimination in the workplace.

The nation’s highest court is considering three related cases, one involving a funeral home worker who was fired after telling her employer she was a transgender woman and would be wearing women’s clothing at work.

In the other two cases, gay workers said they were fired by their employers because of their sexual orientation.

The court will decide whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, also applies to sexual orientation and gender identity.