From “i Do” to “You’re Fired!”: a Comparison of LGBTQ+ Political and Legal Strategies in the United States.

Abstract

In the United States, you can get married to your same-sex partner one day and fired for being gay the next day. Historically LGBTQ+ people have been given their rights through the Privacy Clause found in the Fourteenth Amendment. That was until gay marriage was legalized nationwide using the Equal Protection Clause. This presentation will explore the legal precedence of firing someone for being LGBTQ+ along with the past and present political advocacy strategies for LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination laws. The research will show why an Employment Non-Discrimination case hasn’t been ruled on by the Supreme Court and why Congress and many state legislatures haven’t created statutes protecting LGBTQ+ people.