Marlean Ames has alleged she was wrongly passed over for promotion in favor of a lesbian and then demoted in favor of a gay man.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a "reverse discrimination" case, in which a straight plaintiff sued her state agency employer for passing her over for a promotion because she is straight.

The Supreme Court seemed to find common ground in a high-profile case brought by a straight woman alleging "reverse" job discrimination in favor of gay people.

U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared to lean on Wednesday toward making it easier for people from "majority backgrounds," such as white or straight people, to pursue workplace discrimination claims, as they heard an appeal by an Ohio woman who claims she was denied a promotion and demoted because she is heterosexual.

The Supreme Court appeared virtually certain to side with an Ohio woman who lost a “reverse discrimination” suit against her employer when her gay boss declined to promote her, a decision that will likely make it easier for some White and straight employees to win similar claims.

The Supreme Court appeared likely to allow a woman to pursue a claim that she was discriminated at work because she is straight.