Corporations join Georgia lesbian’s Supreme Court fight
The Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) shows that around the country, cities are fueling momentum for LGBT equality — and often are doing so in states that still don’t have LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination laws at the state level.
In Georgia, Atlanta earned a perfect 100 points on the 2017 MEI despite the city’s location in a state without LGBT-inclusive statewide non-discrimination laws. Atlanta earned an “MEI All Star” distinction this year as well. MEI All Stars are cities nationwide that are excelling by advancing LGBT equality without relying on state law.
The average score for cities in Georgia is 34 out of 100 points, which falls below the national average of 57. Across the country, 41 cities like these set a standard of LGBT inclusiveness with exemplary, best-practice policies such as local non-discrimination laws, providing transgender-inclusive health benefits for city employees and offering LGBT-inclusive city services.
In an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief filed Oct. 11, 76 companies — including Facebook, Starbucks, Microsoft and Viacom — came together to express their support for Georgia lesbian Jameka Evans in her efforts to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case.
Evans claims she was harassed in the workplace and fired from her security-officer position at Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah because she is a lesbian and wears her hair in an androgynous style. Lambda Legal is seeking a nationwide ruling affirming that sexual orientation discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, Freedom For All Americans and Out Leadership organized the amicus brief. Evans filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District Court of Georgia in April 2015.