Today marks the first day that the U.S. Supreme Court is sitting for oral argument in the 2017-2018 session. As the court returns to work, Masterpiece Cakeshop looms as one of the landmark cases for the term. But the Court could take up a number of additional cases this term that impact LGBTQ Americans, on issues ranging from protections for transgender students, to workplace protections for LGB employees, to the legality of President Trump’s transgender military ban.
To keep track of the many moving pieces and various important cases, Freedom for All Americans today released its new litigation tracker, featuring key background and dates in many lawsuits currently pending that pertain to LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The tracker can be found here: https://www.freedomforallamericans.org/litigation-tracker/.
The Supreme Court has already agreed to hear Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Craig and Mullins, a case out of Colorado concerning a business owner’s ability to defy the state’s longstanding nondiscrimination law by seeking a religious exemption in its effort to refuse service to a same-sex couple. “Friend-of-the-Court” briefs in support of the plaintiffs are due October 30. Every lower court so far has ruled that the baker broke the law by denying service to the two men.
“Legal progress is going to be critical in the coming months as a means of providing urgent protections to as many people as soon as possible, but that doesn’t mean the work stops outside of the courtroom,” said Kasey Suffredini, acting CEO and president of strategy at Freedom for All Americans. “The vital work in the courts must accompany ongoing work in state legislative chambers, in the United States Congress, and at the ballot box in order to collectively build momentum toward federal nondiscrimination laws that ensure all Americans are explicitly protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Freedom for All Americans will continue to amplify the important work of our legal partners as we drive the same urgency on the state level and in our public education work.” Read more via Freedom for All Americans