Next Focus for Gay Rights: Employment Discrimination

This week saw a major decision by the US Supreme Court, effectively legalizing gay marriage across the US. But many forms of anti-gay discrimination are still legal, in many US states. This includes discrimination in employment. In many places, it’s legally fine to say “we don’t hire your kind.” On one side of the battle are appeals to equality and respect; on the other, freedom of association, the principle according to which you can’t be forced to associate with people you don’t want to. These are all important principles. The key question is whether, on balance, it is more important for the state to protect one in this situation rather than the other(s). >>>

LINK: Next Fight for Gay Rights: Bias in Jobs and Housing (by ERIK ECKHOLM in NY Times)

“People are going to realize that you can get married in the morning and be fired from your job or refused entry to a restaurant in the afternoon,” Mr. Merkley said. “That is unacceptable.”
…
“It’s profoundly harmful to walk into a business open to the public and be told, ‘No, we don’t actually serve your kind here,’ ” he said. “That’s not how America works.”….

What do you think?

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