A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal law protects gay and transgender workers from job discrimination in a decision that gives millions of LGBT people new civil rights.
Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s four liberals in a 6-3 majority, interpreting the longstanding federal ban on sex discrimination in the workplace to cover bias on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Not everyone has the same coming-out experience as Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job as a funeral director two weeks after telling her boss she’s transgender in 2013. Ashley Oerth, an investment strategy analyst at OppenheimerFunds Inc., says she was impressed by her colleagues’ openness when she came out at work. And while Precious Brady-Davis once felt pigeonholed into working only with trans youth in a previous job at an LGBT outreach center, she says her gender identity never comes up in her current role as a regional communications manager for the Sierra Club—“Never. Never. Ever.”
All of the people we spoke with shared stories about struggling to find their place in a work environment that wasn’t necessarily ready for them. Nearly as many, though, also had stories of professional triumphs. Ashley Brundage, vice president for diversity and inclusion at PNC Bank, says trans professionals’ personal successes resonate across the broader community. “When you put an economic voice behind your community, you have the ability to really control the narrative.”
Still, gender identity is far from the most interesting or important thing in their lives. “My gender identity doesn’t play at all right now,” says Christian Oropeza, a vice president for commercial insurance at Long & Foster. “I’m never like, ‘Hey, I’m Christian. I’m trans.’ Instead, I’d say, ‘I grew the company 300 percent. Give me a raise.’ ”
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm
QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL:
Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake
Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake
Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ
Email us at quicktakenews@gmail.com
QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.