New York officials on Monday hailed the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established gay and transgender people cannot be discriminated against in the workplace under Title VII.
"This landmark victory serves as a direct rebuke to the Trump Administration's decision last week to roll back healthcare nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people and is a reminder that regardless of who you are or who you love - discrimination is immoral, illegal, and incompatible with the idea of America," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
And he called for further action.
"Now, the Senate must act and pass the Equality Act, which will expand federal anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people to housing, education, public accommodations, and beyond - just like we have in New York State," Cuomo said.
Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Democratic state senator and the only openly gay member of the state Senate, also celebrated the ruling, pointing to the state's efforts to protect gay and transgender workers, including the passage of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act.
“Until this morning, federal law said I could’ve been fired from a job simply for mentioning my husband David to a colleague," Hoylman said. "That’s exactly what happened to three plaintiffs in this case, including New Yorker Donald Zarda, who came forward to fight for equal rights after experiencing outrageous discrimination in the workplace."
And Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a victory for millions of people. Her office had filed an amicus brief in the case.
"While we should celebrate this victory, the struggle is not over, so we will continue to fight for equal rights in every aspect of life for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers and Americans nationwide because no one should every be singled out or discriminated against in this country — not for their race, their ethnicity, their religion, their gender identity, their sexual orientation, or any other reason," she said.