Arizona Officials React to Supreme Court Ruling on LGBTQ Protections

U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of LGBT workers being protected from job discrimination.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon

By Alicia Barrón

June 17, 2020

LGBTQ workers who have been fired can sue for bias, according to a new landmark decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and John Roberts sided with the court’s liberal-leaning judges, ruling 6 to 3 in favor of LGBT workers being nationally protected from job discrimination. Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

Today's Supreme Court decision is a tremendous loss for the Trump Administration, which has consistently and relentlessly sought to deny protections to LGBT people. On the right below, what Trump's lawyers told the Supreme Court. On the left, what the Supreme Court said about it pic.twitter.com/KpdMRGush7
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) June 15, 2020

Gorsuch, who was appointed to the Court by President Donald Trump, wrote this landmark decision. It reads, in part: “An employer who fired an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex.”

The decision means Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate because of a person’s sex, also covers sexual orientation as well as those who identify as transgender.

Some Arizona elected officials are celebrating this historic ruling. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego posted on social media that she considers the decision an, “extremely important ruling from #SCOTUS today… PHX embraces the ideas, innovation, and strength of our #LGBTQ community members. Everyone deserves these basic protections.”

Extremely important ruling from #SCOTUS today. Their ruling ensures America’s workers cannot be fired for being gay or transgender. PHX embraces the ideas, innovation, and strength of our #LGBTQ community members. Everyone deserves these basic protections. https://t.co/Yb3jQYJ6tG
— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) June 15, 2020

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema also celebrated the ruling, saying, “Finally, all Arizonans will be hired/fired for their work, not who they are.”

This might be a surprise to some. After all, gay marriage has been legal for years.

How strange that, since 2015, a LGBT person could get married on Sunday & fired on Monday.

By strange, I mean wrong

Finally, all Arizonans will be hired/fired for their work, not who they are https://t.co/PZhNOYt15o
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) June 15, 2020

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs shared a photo of the Arizona Capitol with a PRIDE flag draped over it with the caption “Victory!”

Victory! pic.twitter.com/OkkGB41r4u
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) June 15, 2020

Congressman Raul M. Grijalva reacted by saying, “This was a stunning rebuke of Trump’s dogma that consistently devalues #LGBTQ lives.”

This was a stunning rebuke of Trump's dogma that consistently devalues #LGBTQ lives.

In the middle of a Pride Month, I join hands with my LGBTQ brothers and sisters and celebrate this ruling that is one step closer to the full equality they deserve. https://t.co/WkJya0HvMQ
— Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) June 15, 2020

Notably absent from the string of tweets celebrating this landmark decision are Governor Doug Ducey and Arizona Senator Martha McSally.

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