The Department of Justice said in court papers Wednesday that federal civil rights law does not protect workers from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. The assertion came in a legal brief filed by DOJ lawyers in a federal case involving a skydiving instructor who said he was fired after a customer objected to his status as a gay man. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Gregory Antollino, says the Trump administration is on the wrong side of history in arguing that LGBTQ people should be excluded under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Gregory Antollino: “I think this is about the human condition and the right to be free from employment discrimination and to protect your family, especially if you can get married as a gay person.”