Tech Companies Want Courts To Protect Gay Workers

Microsoft, Google, Viacom, Lyft and dozens of other companies have filed court papers in support of a case that argues gay rights are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Such a ruling, notes this post from Bloomberg Law, could make these companies more vulnerable to employee lawsuits, but the companies nonetheless see major benefits. These include an enlarged pool from which to retain top talent and, as they say in their brief, a more fertile ground for innovation due to “a greater breadth of perspectives, characteristics, and experiences.” The question of whether anti-gay bias is illegal under Title VII has divided the circuits and could be headed for the Supreme Court. This case, which involves a sky diving instructor who claims he was fired because he is gay, is being heard in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.