U.S. Justice Department says anti-bias law does not protect gay workers (In this July 27 story, corrects paragraph 7 to reflect that Zarda died in a BASE-jumping accident, not a skydiving accident) By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) - The Trump administration told a U.S. appeals court that federal law does not ban discrimination against gay employees, a sharp reversal of the position former President Barack Obama took on a key civil rights issue. The U.S. Department of Justice, in a friend of the court brief, told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Wednesday that Congress never intended Title VII, which bans sex discrimination in the workplace, to apply to gay workers.  The department also said the court owed no deference to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that enforces Title VII and has argued since 2012 that the law bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  The brief came hours after President Donald Trump said he would ban transgender people from serving in the military. That would reverse a 2016 policy adopted by Obama.  Justice Department spokesman Devin O’Malley said the brief was consistent with rulings by 10 federal appeals courts and “reaffirms the Department’s fundamental belief that the courts cannot expand the law beyond what Congress has provided.” The department’s brief was in support of New York skydiving company Altitude Express Inc in a lawsuit filed by a former employee, Donald Zarda.  Zarda claimed he lost his job as a skydiving instructor after he told a customer he was gay and she complained. He died in a BASE-jumping accident after filing the lawsuit. In April, a three-judge 2nd Circuit panel dismissed Zarda’s case, citing a prior ruling that said discrimination against gay workers is not a form of sex discrimination under Title VII. The full court, which can overturn the prior decision, agreed in May to review the case. The issue could reach the U.S. Supreme Court in a different case brought by a former security guard at a Georgia hospital who claims she was harassed and forced to quit because she is gay.  Earlier this month, LGBT rights group Lambda Legal, which represents the former security guard, said it would ask the high court to review the case.  On Wednesday, the Justice Department said employers engage in sex discrimination only when they treat male and female workers differently. Objecting to homosexuality does not depend on sex, the department said, but on moral or religious beliefs. “Of course, if an employer fired only gay men but not gay women (or vice versa), that would be prohibited by Title VII,” the department wrote, “but precisely because it would be discrimination based on sex, not sexual orientation.” Zarda’s lawyer, Gregory Antollino, said on Thursday that the department was making the same arguments the Supreme Court rejected in cases involving discrimination against workers in interracial relationships. politicsNews
justice department says law protect gay workers in july story corrects paragraph reflect area died accident skydiving accident by daniel wiessner reuters the trump administration told appeals court federal law ban discrimination gay employees sharp reversal position former president barack obama took key civil rights issue the department justice friend court brief told circuit court appeals manhattan wednesday congress never intended title vii bans sex discrimination workplace apply gay workers the department also said court owed deference equal employment opportunity commission federal agency enforces title vii argued since law bans discrimination basis sexual orientation the brief came hours president donald trump said would ban transgender people serving military that would reverse policy adopted obama justice department spokesman devil o valley said brief consistent rulings federal appeals courts reaffirmed department fundamental belief courts expand law beyond congress the department brief support new york skydiving company altitude express inc lawsuit filed former employee donald area area claimed lost job skydiving instructor told customer gay complained he died accident filing lawsuit in april circuit panel dismissed area case citing prior ruling said discrimination gay workers form sex discrimination title vii the full court overturn prior decision agreed may review case the issue could reach supreme court different case brought former security guard georgia hospital claims harassed forced quit gay earlier month lgbt rights group lambda legal represents former security guard said would ask high court review case on wednesday justice department said employers engage sex discrimination treat male female workers differently objecting homosexuality depend sex department said moral religious beliefs of course employer fired gay men gay women vice versa would prohibited title vii department wrote precisely would discrimination based sex sexual area lawyer gregory antollino said thursday department making arguments supreme court rejected cases involving discrimination workers interracial relationships politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: U.S. Justice Department says anti-bias law does not protect gay workers (In this July 27 story, corrects paragraph 7 to reflect that Zarda died in a BASE-jumping accident, not a skydiving accident) By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) - The Trump administration told a U.S. appeals court that federal law does not ban discrimination against gay employees, a sharp reversal of the position former President Barack Obama took on a key civil rights issue. The U.S. Department of Justice, in a friend of the court brief, told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Wednesday that Congress never intended Title VII, which bans sex discrimination in the workplace, to apply to gay workers.  The department also said the court owed no deference to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that enforces Title VII and has argued since 2012 that the law bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  The brief came hours after President Donald Trump said he would ban transgender people from serving in the military. That would reverse a 2016 policy adopted by Obama.  Justice Department spokesman Devin O’Malley said the brief was consistent with rulings by 10 federal appeals courts and “reaffirms the Department’s fundamental belief that the courts cannot expand the law beyond what Congress has provided.” The department’s brief was in support of New York skydiving company Altitude Express Inc in a lawsuit filed by a former employee, Donald Zarda.  Zarda claimed he lost his job as a skydiving instructor after he told a customer he was gay and she complained. He died in a BASE-jumping accident after filing the lawsuit. In April, a three-judge 2nd Circuit panel dismissed Zarda’s case, citing a prior ruling that said discrimination against gay workers is not a form of sex discrimination under Title VII. The full court, which can overturn the prior decision, agreed in May to review the case. The issue could reach the U.S. Supreme Court in a different case brought by a former security guard at a Georgia hospital who claims she was harassed and forced to quit because she is gay.  Earlier this month, LGBT rights group Lambda Legal, which represents the former security guard, said it would ask the high court to review the case.  On Wednesday, the Justice Department said employers engage in sex discrimination only when they treat male and female workers differently. Objecting to homosexuality does not depend on sex, the department said, but on moral or religious beliefs. “Of course, if an employer fired only gay men but not gay women (or vice versa), that would be prohibited by Title VII,” the department wrote, “but precisely because it would be discrimination based on sex, not sexual orientation.” Zarda’s lawyer, Gregory Antollino, said on Thursday that the department was making the same arguments the Supreme Court rejected in cases involving discrimination against workers in interracial relationships. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: justice department says law protect gay workers in july story corrects paragraph reflect area died accident skydiving accident by daniel wiessner reuters the trump administration told appeals court federal law ban discrimination gay employees sharp reversal position former president barack obama took key civil rights issue the department justice friend court brief told circuit court appeals manhattan wednesday congress never intended title vii bans sex discrimination workplace apply gay workers the department also said court owed deference equal employment opportunity commission federal agency enforces title vii argued since law bans discrimination basis sexual orientation the brief came hours president donald trump said would ban transgender people serving military that would reverse policy adopted obama justice department spokesman devil o valley said brief consistent rulings federal appeals courts reaffirmed department fundamental belief courts expand law beyond congress the department brief support new york skydiving company altitude express inc lawsuit filed former employee donald area area claimed lost job skydiving instructor told customer gay complained he died accident filing lawsuit in april circuit panel dismissed area case citing prior ruling said discrimination gay workers form sex discrimination title vii the full court overturn prior decision agreed may review case the issue could reach supreme court different case brought former security guard georgia hospital claims harassed forced quit gay earlier month lgbt rights group lambda legal represents former security guard said would ask high court review case on wednesday justice department said employers engage sex discrimination treat male female workers differently objecting homosexuality depend sex department said moral religious beliefs of course employer fired gay men gay women vice versa would prohibited title vii department wrote precisely would discrimination based sex sexual area lawyer gregory antollino said thursday department making arguments supreme court rejected cases involving discrimination workers interracial relationships politicsnews