“We conclude today that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit recently ruled that a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – banning gender-based discrimination – also protects gay and lesbian employees.

Eight of the eleven appeals court judges who considered the case were appointed by Republican presidents.

The opinion stated, “For many years, the courts of appeals of this country understood the prohibition against sex discrimination to exclude discrimination on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation. The Supreme Court, however, has never spoken to that question,” the majority wrote. “In this case, we have been asked to take a fresh look at our position in light of developments at the Supreme Court extending over two decades. We have done so, and we conclude today that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination.”

via HuffPost