The Department of Justice got involved in a case stemming from a man who said he was fired from his job for being gay, saying in a legal brief the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not protect gays from being discriminated against.
BuzzFeed News reported Wednesday about the DOJ's decision to file an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. The document states that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which is cited in the aforementioned case, has been ruled not to contain protections for people based on their sexual orientation.
"The sole question here is whether, as a matter of law, Title VII reaches sexual orientation discrimination," the brief reads, according to BuzzFeed. "It does not, as has been settled for decades. Any efforts to amend Title VII's scope should be directed to Congress rather than the courts."
The case involves a skydiving instructor. Prior to a tandem jump with a female customer in 2010, he told her not to worry about the fact that they would be strapped together before and during the jump because he was gay. The New York Times reported that after the woman's husband complained to the company, Altitude Express, he was fired.
The instructor, identified as Donald Zarda, subsequently filed a federal lawsuit and said his former employer was in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The debate about whether Title VII should include discrimination based on sexual orientation has spanned decades despite several rulings that say it should not.
Wednesday's court filing occurred on the same day President Donald Trump announced transgender people would not be allowed to serve in the military.
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