Supreme Court Ruling Is Important Victory for LGBTQ Americans and Our LGBTQ Employees

Originally posted on bloomberg.com.

June 16, 2020 /3BL Media/ - Nearly a year ago, on July 2, 2019, Bloomberg LP joined with more than 200 other companies and signed onto an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court of the United States in a trio of cases, urging it to protect LGBTQ workers from discrimination on the basis of their sex. Today, in the midst of Pride Month, Justices Gorsuch, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Chief Justice Roberts, did just that, affirming in a landmark 6-3 decision that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ people from discrimination under existing federal civil rights laws. Justice Gorsuch summed it up succinctly in writing the majority opinion: “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.”

“In a victory for equality everywhere, the Supreme Court ruled it’s illegal for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation,” said Michael R. Bloomberg. “Equality is good for business and for humanity – and it’s something we at Bloomberg have prioritized for years.”

“This is a momentous victory, securing the workplace rights of LGBTQ Americans. It gives us more reason to celebrate them and the resilience of Bloomberg’s own LGBTQ Community this Pride Month,” added Chris Michel, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Americas. “However, around the globe, members of the LGBTQ community remain under fire, so we must maintain and even redouble our efforts to support them and further advance the cause of LGBTQ equality in inclusive workplaces worldwide, ensuring equal rights and treatment wherever they are.”

Today’s ruling is consistent with Bloomberg’s existing employment policies, which already prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. It also reinforces the company’s long-standing belief that non-discrimination and inclusion aren’t just good for business; they’re the right thing to do.

Some of Bloomberg’s LGBTQ-friendly workplace policies and benefits available in the U.S. include:

• For the last two decades, Bloomberg has provided medical, prescription, dental, and vision benefits in the U.S. to same-sex domestic partners, regardless of gender.
• The company’s medical plan affords the full suite of health benefits recommended by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH) Standards of Care for U.S. employees who plan to transition. This provides coverage for medically necessary health care services for the transgender community, including transition-related treatment such as genital surgeries, hormone therapy, and mental health counseling.
• Its gender-neutral, fully-paid, 26-week parental leave policy for primary caregivers covers birth, adoption, foster placement, and surrogacy.
• The company also offers employees and their dependents free, short-term telephonic counseling (including on-site counseling at various offices) and a telemedicine service, which also includes virtual mental health services to address stress and depression.

The company’s inclusive stance on LGBTQ rights in the workplace has resulted in its earning a score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for the last four years, earning it the designation as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”

Over the past year, in addition to expressing support for the LGBTQ community and non-discrimination protections through this “friend of the court” brief, Bloomberg has also publicly advocated for marriage equality across APAC – in both Japan and Hong Kong.

Click here to access Bloomberg's 2019 Impact Report and read more about how Bloomberg engages its employees in addressing important social and environmental issues.