[user104658]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Great news, I would have thought that it would have already been classed as discrimination though (but yeah it's America so not overly surprised either)

Well, reading the article, it seems that it already was, it's just that they hadn't all agreed that it was. They've basically confirmed that the wording of a sex discrimination law from the 60's covers sexual orientation and transgender as well, effectively on a technicality, which is what pro-rights lawyers have been arguing. As far as I understand it... it's basically "You can't fire a woman for liking women, because you wouldn't be able to fire a man for liking women, so if you fired them it would be discrimination based on their sex." (and variations of that thinking applying to all sorts of situations).

Supreme court has ruled that interpretation to be accurate, so that's basically federal law now.