Antidiscrimination laws are such a patchwork in the U.S. that in parts or all of many states, employers could legally fire workers for being gay, lesbian or transgender. Until now.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Monday that federal law prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of sex also applies to sexual orientation and gender identity. Whether Congress had this in mind when it passed the protections as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is immaterial, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion.