"On The Basis of Sex:" A Conversation about the Supreme Court and LGBTQ Rights with ACLU Legal Director David Cole Artwork

Then & Now

Then & Now connects past to present, using historical analysis and context to help guide us through modern issues and policy decisions. Then & Now is brought to you by the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy. Then & Now is produced by David Myers and Roselyn Campbell, and features original music by Daniel Raijman.

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Then & Now

"On The Basis of Sex:" A Conversation about the Supreme Court and LGBTQ Rights with ACLU Legal Director David Cole

July 27, 2020 • UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy • Season 1 • Episode 18

On June 15, the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects Gay and Transgender individuals from workplace discrimination. ACLU National Legal Director David Cole, who spearheaded the victorious lawsuit, joins Then & Now to discuss this surprise ruling, how the ACLU and its allies framed the argument, what the decision's legal implications are for today, and how the Supreme Court’s approach to discrimination has evolved over time.