Quote Originally Posted by JKDS View Post
Actually, yes.

A suspect class is one which the SC thinks there is a high likelihood that the 14th amendment is gonna be violated. Ie, that the State itself is depriving people of equal protection. Suspect classes are Like race, aliens, and national orign. Then there are quasi suspect classes like gender. But everything else is non suspect (age, disability, sexual orientation). For suspect classes, the state needs a damp good reason to discriminate. For quasi, they need a pretty good reason. But for nonsuspect? They just need a reason.

Protected classes are different. They get protection under the civil rights act, which means people get into shit if they discriminate in places like employment. Disability and race are both protected classes, so you can't be fired on account of either one anywhere in the nation.

Being gay is neither a protected, nor a suspect, class. So states and businesses alike can fuck around as they please. (Except in certain areas, like marriage, religion, education, and other fundamental rights)
Never heard of any of this. What dictates a suspect/protected class? Some back corner of some amendment to the Constitution?