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Fifth Circuit Reinforces Intolerance of LGBTQ Workers With Title VII Outlier
Title VII, LGBTQ Discrimination Teddy Basham-Witherington Title VII, LGBTQ Discrimination Teddy Basham-Witherington

Fifth Circuit Reinforces Intolerance of LGBTQ Workers With Title VII Outlier

While Wittmer does not change the federal law protecting LGBTQ people, it stands as an outlier among many recent decisions that have found that discriminating against them in the workplace is “because of sex.” The Fifth Circuit covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, all states that lack statewide protections for LGBTQ workers, and LGBTQ people in the South face higher rates of prejudice and intolerance than other parts of the country. Wittmer makes the conflict among the states and federal circuits even stronger, where LGBTQ workers can be protected in one part of our country but not in another.  

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