The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Monday that employers cannot discriminate in hiring due to a candidate's sexual or gender preference was a surprising revelation for many Americans, including Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD.

"It was groundbreaking. It was historic today," she told Cheddar.

Still, Ellis said this is just a small part of the rights challenges members of the LGBTQ community face.

"We're debating whether or not I can be fired from my job at the Supreme Court simply because I'm gay. It shouldn't even be a discussion," she said.

The historic decision came just days after the Trump administration rolled back healthcare protections for transgender people under the Affordable Care Act -- a move which Ellis said is in line with the president's broader dismissal of LGBTQ people throughout his term.

"This administration has attacked the LGBTQ community 150 times with both policy rollbacks and rhetoric since he's come into power," she said.

As demonstrators across the nation call for social justice and equality this June, Ellis said that it is important for Pride month supporters to remember where it started. 

"Pride is a protest, and we need to be on the streets," she stated. "We have to go back to our roots this one. This Pride especially."

She noted that 14 members of the trans community have been violently killed so far this year.

In 2020, a year unlike any other with a pandemic canceling Pride celebrations and calls for social justice amplified throughout the nation, Ellis tasked people to come together now to force real change.

"Our community is our power. Our identity is our power," she said. "We need to be fighting for Black Lives Matter, for our trans community. We have to be standing up for each other right now, and we need to be locking arms as marginalized communities."

Share:
More In Politics
Facebook to Give Small Businesses $100M in Cash Grants
The Small Business Grants Program, revealed in a blog post on Tuesday morning, was created to keep workers working, help with rent costs, connect with more customers, cover operational costs. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Fed Will Buy Short-Term Loans to Try to Ease Flow of Credit
The Fed is reviving a program that it first used during the 2008 financial crisis to unclog a short-term lending market for what is known as “commercial paper.” Large businesses issue commercial paper to raise cash to meet payrolls and cover other short-term costs.
Sinking Airlines Seeking $50 Billion Bailout: Report
U.S. airlines are reportedly seeking as much as $50 billion in federal support as travel restrictions aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus have pushed the industry’s biggest players to the brink of bankruptcy.
NY Gov. Cuomo Announces New COVID-19 Cases, Shutdowns in Tri-State
Gov. Cuomo revealed that there are now 950 confirmed cases in New York with 158 hospitalizations and seven death, along with a coordinated effort between New York and its neighboring states, New Jersey and Connecticut, in order to stem the increased spread of the COVID-19 disease.
Load More