Gerald Bostock on SCOTUS' landmark LGBTQ ruling
Seven years ago I was fired because I'm gay.
I was in a dream job. I loved working on behalf of underserved children in Clayton County, Georgia, near Atlanta. For 10 years I had a glowing record. And then, I joined a gay softball league to work on my health after beating prostate cancer.
That's when things changed.
Within six months, I was fired. I lost my job, and my medical insurance, while in recovery after my cancer treatment.
My story is just one of so many stories. So many others have lived in fear of being their true selves at work.
But along with my fellow plaintiffs in this case – Aimee Stephens and Don Zarda (may you now rest in peace) – I fought back. And that fight became so much bigger than anything I could have imagined.
This past week we won. Our nation's highest court held that an employer who fires a person for being gay or transgender defies the law.
Now, no one has to go to work fearing they'll lose their job because of who they are or who they love.
Thank you to the Supreme Court for recognizing basic human rights, and sending a clear signal that we should treat each other with dignity and respect.
We still have a long way to go to stamp out discrimination. Recent events underscore the injustices in our society, and remind us that we have to work harder.
Discrimination, of any kind, has no place in this world.
I hope this decision provides hope to LGBTQ people everywhere.
And to all those who work to uphold and support our civil rights – thank you!
See also:
- Bostock v. Clayton, County, Georgia (SCOTUSblog)
Story produced by Amy Wall. Editor: Joseph Frandino.