Chancellor's Communiqué

Celebrating LGBTQ+ Rights, 6-16-2020

Dear CU Denver Community,

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a landmark decision, Bostock v. Clayton County, to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. The decision holds that firing employees because they are queer or transgender constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under federal law because Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ+ citizens. We applaud this decision and believe its impact will be far-reaching, particularly at this time of great divisiveness in this country.

On a more local level, the University of Colorado already had protections in place for LGBTQ+ employees and students. The Supreme Court decision reinforces and strengthens our ability to protect these individuals—and it protects them after they leave our university.

While we celebrate this decision with the LGBTQ+ community, we also realize the work of advancing equity and social justice on all fronts is ongoing. As this work continues, we are pleased that the University of Colorado is a sponsor of Denver’s PrideFest on June 20-21. Please join us this coming weekend for the virtual 2020 edition, the largest celebration of LGBTQ+ pride in the Rocky Mountain region.

Dorothy Horrell
Chancellor