Atlanta Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination Attorneys

Defending Victims of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Discrimination in Georgia

In today’s workplace, no one should face workplace discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but it happens all too often. However, discrimination against members of the LGTBQ+ is illegal, and the attorneys at Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown are experienced in using the law to advance equal justice for victims of this kind of discrimination. 

According to the Center for American Progress, 1 in 4 members of the LGBTQ+ community experience discrimination on a daily basis. They don’t get hired, or they get fired, or they are denied promotion or subjected to a hostile work environment. More than 60% reported a negative impact on their psychological well-being. A more recent CAP survey found that the laws designed to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community are inadequate and that the community experiences significantly higher rates of discrimination. That’s not surprising, given that many lesbian, gay, and trans people carefully alter their behavior to try and avoid discrimination by changing their mode of dress, hiding their romantic relationships, or delaying medical care.

Call Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown today at (404) 476-5305 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with our sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination lawyers in Atlanta.

Why Hire Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown

At Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown, our attorneys are very experienced in handling all kinds of discrimination claims related to sexual orientation or gender identity. We have successfully represented plaintiffs who faced adverse employment actions, including discriminatory discipline, demotion, wrongful termination, and harassment.

Until recently, most LGBTQ+ people were not open about their sexuality. In many places, there were laws prohibiting sexual intimacy between same-sex couples. LGBTQ+ people found themselves experiencing harassment and discrimination on a regular basis if they tried to be open. They lost their jobs. They were denied housing. Judges denied custody of children to gay parents after divorces. Gay couples couldn’t marry or file joint tax returns. Then, in 1969, the Stonewall Riots marked the dawn of the modern gay rights movement, and slowly, things started to change.

Understanding Employment Protections Under Title VII

More recently, with the case of Bostock v. Clayton County, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020, employment protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act have been expanded to include members of the LGBTQ+ community. One of our partners, Brian Sutherland, took Bostock to the U.S. Supreme Court for his client, Gerald Bostock. Mr. Bostock’s employer, Clayton County, argued that it fired him because of “conduct unbecoming” a county employee shortly after he began participating in a gay recreational softball league. The lower courts held that Title VII allowed employers to fire employees because of sexual orientation, but the U.S. Supreme Court reversed those decisions and ensured equality in the workplace for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Bostock was a landmark decision that “…applies with equal force to discrimination on the grounds of intersex traits – i.e. variations in physical sex characteristics that do not fit the typical definitions of male or female bodies” (quoting the Justice department). This means that transgender and non-binary people are also protected and cannot be discriminated against at work based on how they identify.

Although strides towards equality, inclusion, and acceptance have been made in recent years, gay, lesbian, trans, and non-binary people sto;; face discrimination in the workplace even today. The LGBTQ+ community and its allies must be on guard. 

Contact Our Atlanta Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination Lawyers Today

If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and you are dealing with workplace discrimination, document what is happening and call the lawyers at Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown. We are committed to helping individuals in the LGBTQ+ community who have endured workplace discrimination, and our law firm can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve. Call us today at 404-476-5305.

Contact Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown today to get started with our Atlanta sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination attorneys.