When the US Supreme Court reconvenes on October 2nd, they will quickly start reviewing cases that may affect the LGBT community. The issues debated in these cases range from gay rights, religious liberties, gerrymandering, and immigration rights and policies.
The redrawing of election district maps along party lines to secure a majority of the votes, partisan gerrymandering has been illegal ever since I can remember. Even I learned about it in elementary school in the 1980s. Why is this even an issue still? The issue is how much gerrymandering needs to occur before it's unconstitutional?Jennings vs. Rodriguez – Scheduled for Oct. 3
We've seen horrific cases of ICE picking up and detaining noncitizens, separating families, ruining homes, and lives. But that may be as much as we see. What we do not see are the weeks and months after illegal immigrants are arrested and are detained for an indefinite amount of time. How long should that be? If they are not citizens, they are not protected under the Constitution, correct? If a noncitizens is slated for deportation, how soon until they have their day in court? bail hearing?
The 9th Circuit Court said noncitizens in this type of situation have a right to bail after six months if they pose no danger to the public and are unlikely to flee. The justices heard the government's appeal in November, shortly after Trump's election, but could not reach a decision.
Trump vs. Hawaii and Trump vs. IRAP -Scheduled for Oct. 10.
Many of us were shocked when the land of the free was off limits to foreign travelers from six majority Muslim nations trying to come to the United States. Trump and his proposed travel ban did not fare well, especially with certain courts of appeals.
Trump's reasoning was that the ban should occur because these nations and people from them posed a "heightened risk" of terrorism. Will that be enough to win the favor of the Supreme Court or will the court find his order unconstitutional because it reflects bias against Muslims and is not based on evidence of a true security threat?
Husted vs. A. Philip Randolph Institute – Scheduled for November 8.
In a case of if you don't use it, you'll lose it …
If you don't vote (for more than 2 years) or respond to government communication (over 4 years), should a state be able to remove citizens from its voting rolls?
Apparently the Supreme court will have to decide if ghosting your vote will result in no more dating in the future.
I thought we all had the right to vote. Now there's another hoop to jump through to be considered a voting member of society.
Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado – Scheduled for December.
Cake Cake Cake Cake Cake Cake. Enough about the cakes! Bakers refusing to make wedding cakes for gay couples because of their baking religious beliefs is as much about cakes as the NFL flag debate is about our troops. This issue is about the ability of states to require businesses that are open to the public provide "full and equal" services to all customers, no matter what the customers' sexual orientation. Less than half of the states use their civil rights laws to protect LGB citizens.
Related Post: Colorado Bakery Will Bake For Dogs But Not Gays
Will the courts draw a line between freedom of speech and freedom to bake? Will they help the current administration separate the rights of customers going to public businesses and those that are going to businesses owned by cake makers, photographers, musicians that are more expressive?
Carpenter vs. United States – Scheduled for December.
How much are your phone records protected? When it comes to tracking crime suspects or terrorists, how far can the police and the government/FBI go? I mean we all have Grindr and can stalk people on that. What's the difference? Of course, there is a big difference. But if the FBI is involving phone records, are those records private, public, and will a search warrant be needed?
Evans vs. Georgia Regional Hospital – Not Yet Scheduled.
Should job discrimination based on sexuality be allowed? This case actually involves two regional cases rising to the Supreme Court level. It also involves the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids employers from discriminating against employees because of their sex. The court will need to work out the expanse of the Act to see if it also forbids firing people because of their sexual orientation.
Related Post: Court Case Could Secure LGBT Rights In The Workplace
The 7th Circuit Court in Chicago ruled that federal law forbids job discrimination based on sexual orientation, but the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta reached the opposite conclusion. A Georgia woman who was fired from her hospital security guard job supposedly because she is a lesbian. She appealed the decision just this month, which may lead to a SCOTUS debate this fall.
h/t: nydailynews.com