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The Daily

‘Because of Sex’

The Daily

The New York Times

News, Daily News

4.3107.6K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2019

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 2013, Aimee Stephens watched her boss read a carefully worded letter. “I have felt imprisoned in a body that does not match my mind. And this has caused me great despair and loneliness,” she had written. “With the support of my loving wife, I have decided to become the person that my mind already is.” Ms. Stephens was fired after coming out as transgender. Now, she is the lead plaintiff in a Supreme Court case that will determine the employment rights of gay and transgender workers across the nation. Guests: Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times, and Aimee Stephens, the lead plaintiff in the transgender discrimination case heard by the Supreme Court. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: The forthcoming Supreme Court ruling hangs on justices’ interpretation of wording in the Civil Rights Act that prohibits employment discrimination “because of sex.”The case came to the Supreme Court from a federal appeals court, which found in favor of Ms. Stephens last year.

Transcript

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0:00.0

From New York Times, I'm Michael Bavaro.

0:02.4

This is Daily.

0:04.0

[♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪

0:10.6

Today, the story behind the biggest Supreme Court case of the year.

0:17.1

[♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪

0:24.6

It's Thursday, November 7th.

0:27.2

[♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪

0:31.3

My name is Amy Stevens.

0:34.1

I'm 58 years old and I live in Redford, Michigan.

0:39.6

Ever since I was a little kid, I've been fascinated with the funeral industry.

0:46.6

I was hired in as a funeral director and embalmer.

0:51.1

It was a chance to be able to comfort people

0:55.4

and they're probably one of the worst times of their lives, which was losing the love doing.

1:00.9

And for me, it wasn't calling.

1:04.6

It was my chance to be able to help people.

1:07.6

And what about the particular funeral home where you worked?

1:11.4

What would you describe as your relationship to it and the culture of it?

1:17.9

I thought we had a pretty good relationship.

1:22.1

I'd been there for over six years.

1:26.8

I had some ideas about things they could do to improve the practices and stuff around the funeral home.

1:36.2

They took those suggestions and ran with them.

1:40.8

In fact, I'd just gotten a rather substantial pay increase.

...

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