Final answer:
Intermediate scrutiny is a legal standard for gender discrimination that requires the government to prove that laws treating men and women differently are justifiably related to important objectives. It has led to changes, such as coeducation in military schools and women's inclusion in combat roles, but the Selective Service System's male-only registration is still upheld.
Step-by-step explanation:
Intermediate Scrutiny in Gender Discrimination
In the context of gender discrimination, intermediate scrutiny is a legal standard used to evaluate the constitutionality of laws that pertain to gender differences. This level of scrutiny was defined through cases such as Craig v. Boren (1976) and Clark v. Jeter (1988), and it mandates that the government must prove that gender-based differential treatment is "substantially related to an important governmental objective." The practice of intermediate scrutiny means that the government, rather than the individual claiming discrimination, carries the burden of justification. While sometimes laws under this scrutiny are upheld, typically they are not, as illustrated when courts mandated that all-male schools like The Citadel in South Carolina open their doors to female students and when they allowed women to serve in all combat roles in the military. However, the courts have upheld the practice of the Selective Service System to require only men to register for the draft.