[Commentary] [USA] Beyond Politics: LGBT Workplace Discrimination

[Stephanie Stevens]

OpEdNews, USA


July 7, 2012 at 13:31:47

Beyond Politics: LGBT Workplace Discrimination

By Joshua Fisher


What are the stresses of going to work? Having to get up at an hour
you don't want to? That it'll be a slow day? Or a busy day? Maybe you
have a rude customer or you're the one who gets to clean the
bathrooms? But then pay day rolls around and you get that check. The
check that will feed you and your family, the paycheck that will pay
for that show you want to see, that new car you want, or whatever it
may be. And you feel confident that you'll stay at your position, with
reasonable upward mobility, based on merit and ability, right?

If you answered yes to that last question then you are a heterosexual
cisgender person (If you are cisgender, then your identity matches
your sex). Current workplace discrimination laws do not protect people
based on their sexual orientation or their gender identity.

Now you might say, "So what? None of that is relevant to your work
environment, go to work and do your job and worry about all of that on
your own time."

But consider the Transgender person who has to use the unfinished
restroom one floor down, because of their gender identity. Or the
person who has to leave their workplace completely, so that they may
use the restroom.

And if you don't think that's a big deal, then please feel welcome to
leave your place of employment every time you have to use the
facilities.

According to workplacefairness.org there are five ways you can be
discriminated against for your gender identity and I'd like to discuss
each of these.

"Many pre-operative transsexuals (transgender people) are fired the
moment their employers find out about their plan to undergo sex
reassignment surgery."

This causes a lot of problems. Sure, if you're a well to do youth at
your first time, part time job, this may not be a big concern. But for
a lot of Transgender people, they put their personal lives aside to
'get ahead' and they aren't losing jobs, but careers. And this is a
problem. This discrimination is the discrimination that costs people
their livelihoods. According to surgeryencyclopedia.com sex
reassignment surgery (SRS) can cost any where from $7,000 - $50,000
dollars, depending on your gender. This excludes the cost of hormone
replacement therapy and regular therapy, both of which you are
required to pursue by law before getting SRS. (Don't forget to
consider the lack of coverage Transgender people face in their
healthcare plans, if they can afford healthcare at all.)

What if this is a dichotomy, what if Transgender people only have two
choices, lose their job, or suppress their gender identity? Science
suggests that suppression of one's gender identity can often lead to
suicidal thoughts, and in the mindset of living in capitalist America,
losing your job can cause serious depression as well. According to
msnbc.com 41% of transgender people in the U.S. have attempted to
commit suicide (which is 25% higher than the rate of the 'general
population' as msnbc.com puts it) while 19% have reported being
refused medical care because of their gender nonconforming status.

"Transgender people who attempt to wear clothing appropriate to their
gender identity are disciplined, reassigned or terminated, based on a
failure to conform to a company dress code policy that makes no effort
to accommodate transgender individuals." I don't have a lot to say on
this one, but I'll say to anyone who says, "They're just clothes! It's
not a big deal." to a transgender person, consider saying that to the
employer/manager/boss person. Because if the outfit doesn't hinder the
ability of the person to do their job, then it shouldn't be a problem,
for the employer, whereas suppression of one's identity is a problem
for the employee. This is true if the person is Transgender, a
crossdresser, genderqueer or just gender non-conforming. Clothes are
clothes, but that's a different piece for a different time.

"Transgendered people have been refused access to workplace restroom
facilities and harassed by coworkers and supervisors on the basis of
their gender identity."

Workplacefairness.org gave me a two-fer on this one. One of which I've
already discussed (restroom discrimination).

Harassment. Hostileworkenvironmentguide.com defines harassment as,
"..an act committed by a person that makes another feel uncomfortable,
offended, intimidated or oppressed."

People are harassed in the workplace for their gender identity and
sexual orientation. They are held from promotions, they are taunted,
being called things like, 'faggot' and 'queer', they are being refused
access to restrooms, being told to dress against their gender identity
and even being fired.

This is not equality.

And this brings me to the final point of the five mentioned on
workplacefairness.org:

Many transgendered and gender-variant people are denied equal
treatment in public accommodations, which can affect their ability to
successfully function in the workplace. For example, transgendered
people have been asked to leave restaurants, hotels, stores, medical
facilities, and educational institutions. This discrimination may make
it difficult, if not impossible, to successfully perform one's job.

All of this to say that this needs to move beyond politics. While
breath is being held, if even that much is being done, waiting to see
if ENDA will even come out of committee, people are being fired,
harassed, suppressed and repressed in the workplace for no other
reason then because of who they love or how they identify.

We don't need to wait for politicians in Washington, or in any city or
state. We need to write to our editors to raise awareness. If you work
for any small business, company or corporation that hasn't adopted a
policy against workplace discrimination against people based on sexual
orientation and gender identity, talk to the owner, write to the
shareholders or the CEO and demand equality. If you know someone being
discriminated against in your workplace, by employees or the employer,
stand up for them. Gather together a coalition in your community of
people against workplace discrimination. Target places of
discrimination and provide support to anyone wanting to come out at
work.

People have power, this is beyond politics, this has to do with
people's livelihoods and there lives. I hope you'll consider taking
action.

--

About the author

I am a now 20 year old College student. According to
PoliticalCompass.org I am an Anarcho-Collectivist which is something I
strongly agree with. However I have a strong fascination with
electoral politics. I guess I hope that one day they will actually
work for the people, instead of the multi-national corporations. And
that is a significant part of my crusade. I am against the big
corporations that run the media, that own our politicians and that are
behind the Military-Industrial complex that keeps us in perpetual war.

I also advocate for an education that makes people independent of the
system we currently live in. By teaching them how to grow their own
food and by teaching them things like carpentry, sewing and cooking.

Also, as a Lesbian Transgender, I am a strong advocate of ACTUAL LGBT*
Rights. The right to marry is important, of course, but so are fair
treatment and equal rights of the Trans* community in prisons, when it
comes to buying homes and seeking employment and when it comes to
adoption (which is something that the entire community is facing
discrimination on).

Lastly, I understand and accept my privilege as a middle - class
Caucasian and I work everyday to use that privilege to better this
world for everyone and not just myself.

http://www.longhairedpoet.blogspot.com


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