Donald Trump's administration wants being gay to become a sackable offence

Donald Trump’s justice department have appeared in federal court to effectively argue that employers should be able to fire people because they are gay.

The U.S. Department of Justice is backing a New York skydiving company, Altitude Express Inc, in a lawsuit brought by former instructor Donald Zarda who alleged that the company fired him after he told a customer he was gay and she complained.

Zarda died in a base jumping accident shortly after filing the suit, and he is now being represented by his estate.

Now, judges on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are determining whether discrimination against gay workers is a form of unlawful sex bias that is covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Trump administration is being represented by Justice Department lawyer Hashim Moopan, who argued that Congress never intended for the law to protect gay workers.

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He also claimed that lawmakers have in recent years declined to pass bills that would prohibit employment discrimination against gay workers.

‘Every circuit court for 50 years has said this isn’t covered’, Mooppan told the Manhattan hearing.

Lawyers for Zarda’s estate have conversely argued that gay workers are protected by Title VII because sexual orientation can be linked to a person’s sex.

In contrast with the Trump administration’s direct approach on the issue, the Justice Department did not weigh in on the case during Barack Obama’s time in the office.