Federal Court Rules LGBT Discrimination in Violation of Title IX

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals decided on Monday that discrimination of sexual orientation falls under the Title IX protections from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. The majority wrote that "sexual orientation is a function of sex and sex is a protected characteristic under Title VII, it follows that sexual orientation is also protected." The case was heard in New York City by 13 judges, and was originally brought by Donald Zarda, who sued his workplace in 2010 for allegedly terminating him due to his sexual orientation. While anti-LGBT discrimination is not explicitly protected by the federal government, the courts interpretation presents a roadblock in the Trump administration’s efforts to curb LGBT protections via the courts.