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Apple, Facebook, Google urge Supreme Court to end LGBTQ discrimination

More than 200 companies signed a brief in support of LGBTQ workers.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials
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Abrar Al-Heeti
Rainbow flag

More than 200 companies signed a brief urging the Supreme Court to recognize that members of the LGBTQ community are protected against discrimination under Title VII.

 Paul Mansfield / Getty Images

Tech giants such as Apple , Facebook , Google and Amazon are teaming up to urge the Supreme Court to protect members of the LGBTQ community from workplace discrimination. 

More than 200 companies came together Tuesday to sign a "friend of the court" brief asking the Supreme Court to acknowledge that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Not protecting these employees from discrimination would have "wide-ranging, negative consequences for businesses, their employees and the US economy," the brief reads. 

Recognizing that Title VII prohibits sex discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community would allow businesses to recruit and retain top talent, draw from more diverse ideas and experiences, and attract a broader range of customers, the companies say. 

The Supreme Court is slated to hear three cases related to LGBTQ workplace discrimination in its next session. The companies that signed the brief say a uniform federal law on sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination would protect employees and their families wherever they happen to be. 

"Diversity is a key factor in US businesses' ability to compete and succeed in the modern global economy," the brief reads. "Only a uniform federal rule can enable businesses to recruit and retain, and employees to perform, at their highest levels."