Fired because of who they are or not hired because of who they are? I bet that most of us in the trans-community do know someone. It is discrimination and bigotry that we face every day when we apply for jobs or transition in the workplace.
I know someone who worked for 25 years at a company and when she came out at work, the next week they had a layoff of one person, her. I know someone who has her post-doctorate and studied under a Nobel Prize winner and she had to go begging for work. Stories like these are quite common in the trans-community, a recent survey found that,
We do not want special protection; we just want equal chance at a job. We just want to be judged on our job performance and not on who we are. I think that is what any worker wants.
I know someone who worked for 25 years at a company and when she came out at work, the next week they had a layoff of one person, her. I know someone who has her post-doctorate and studied under a Nobel Prize winner and she had to go begging for work. Stories like these are quite common in the trans-community, a recent survey found that,
EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION AND ECONOMIC INSECURITYOnly 16 states and the District of Columbia have job protect for gender identity and expression and there is no protection at the federal level.
• Double the rate of unemployment: Survey respondents experienced unemployment at twice the rate of the general population at the time of the survey, with rates for people of color up to four times the national unemployment rate.
• Widespread mistreatment at work: Ninety percent (90%) of those surveyed reported experiencing harassment, mistreatment or discrimination on the job or took actions like hiding who they are to avoid it.
• Forty-seven percent (47%) said they had experienced an adverse job outcome, such as being fi red, not hired or denied a promotion because of being transgender or gender non-conforming.
• Over one-quarter (26%) reported that they had lost a job due to being transgender or gender non-conforming and 50% were harassed.
We do not want special protection; we just want equal chance at a job. We just want to be judged on our job performance and not on who we are. I think that is what any worker wants.
You said: Only 16 states and the District of Columbia have job protect for gender identity and expression and there is no protection at the federal level."
ReplyDeleteWith the recent court cases in DC and GA and the EEOC taking a ruling re Trans and Title VII, can we really say that this is true?
However, those court cases and the EEOC ruling only apply to public sector jobs or any business that has a contract with a government agency or is in interstate commerce.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, if the Republicans gain control of the White House, the EEOC and the Title VII & IX administrative rulings can be changed with a stroke of a pen.
I don't think that the EEOC rulings will be changed at the stroke of a pen with a Republican presidency. Could they? Sure, but also remeber that DADT and the DOMA were signed into law by Bill Clinton.
ReplyDeleteThe private business does not have to be involved with interstate commerce or a federal contractor to be covered under EEOC. All it has to have is 15 employees who worked for 20 weeks in either of the last two years. In some cases it is difficult to establish coverage, but in many cases it is not. http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/coverage_private.cfm
Also, MANY states follow the lead of the Feds, tho it does take some time to filter down. What is needed is better funded challenges to states and localities that actively allow such discrimination.
I was fired the first time after working for 11 yrs. The one who fired me was my wife's step-brother. The second time after 3 yrs., fired by my daughters husband. After that, I looked for a year and got passed over for even the most mundane jobs. Now I'm disabled and can't work.
ReplyDelete