APA lauds Supreme Court ruling protecting LGBT workers

The American Psychological Association (APA) on June 15 issued a statement lauding the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that gay and transgender workers are protected by federal law. “This is a victory for all Americans who value equality and fairness. Psychological research has found that LGBT individuals are often stigmatized for not conforming to sex‐role stereotypes. Sexual and gender minority individuals already experience higher rates of physical and mental health problems than do heterosexuals,” said APA President Sandra L. Shullman, Ph.D. “When laws are enacted to prohibit discrimination against gay and transgender individuals, research has shown that health outcomes, both mental and physical, improve. Workplaces that have adopted LGBT‐supportive policies have also benefited from improved health among those employees, as well as greater job commitment, job satisfaction and productivity.” The decision involved three federal employment cases, heard by the court in October 2019, in which individuals were fired after revealing their sexual or gender identities in the workplace. The APA, along with the American Psychiatric Association; the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; and the Georgia, Michigan and New York Psychological Associations, submitted an amicus brief in support of the employees.