in LGBTQ
Transgender Nursing Aid Was Told To 'Go To Hell' Before Being Fired And Now She's Fighting Back
by Alex Maxx
More than 75% of transgender employees go out of their way to avoid being harassed, discriminated against, and generally mistreated at work.
On top of that, more than a quarter of transgender people have been denied a job, turned down for a promotion, and even being fired for being trans – contributing to the gobsmacking transgender unemployment rate, which is about three times higher than the national average.
More than half of transgender teachers face harassment or discrimination in the workplace, according to @NPR survey https://t.co/EdOuCLMl5y
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) March 9, 2018
One of the many transgender women who experienced this was an unnamed nursing assistant, identified as a Jane Doe.
She is choosing not to reveal herself – as a transgender woman of color – for she fears a violent reaction from the public, should she be outed and revealed.
Doe was fired from Gardens for Memory Care in Easton, Pennsylvania because she identifies as a transgender woman.
Now, she is filing a lawsuit against her former employer for discrimination.
Doe complained about harassment from supervisors and coworkers, and believes she was terminated as a result.
She made the complaint in September 2017, and was fired that same afternoon.
Doe claims she endured emotional abuse from the time she started to when she was fired. The lawsuit included the following conversation between two co-workers:
"He's going to have to ask for forgiveness if he doesn't want to go to hell."
She was always misgendered at the office, even having coworkers refer to her as a 'he' to some of the nursing home patients. Assignment sheets had her listed under the male name given to her at birth, and she would go and strike through them, writing the chosen female name she identifies with.
Being misgendered can be detrimental to someone who is transitioning:
An anonymous question for y'all:
"So my coworker is a trans man and he kept getting misgendered when I was training him. What's a good comforting thing to say to a trans man and/or woman when this happens?"
— Julia Kaye! (@upandoutcomic) September 22, 2018
if you misgender me in person and i don't correct you it's not because i'm okay with it. it's because i'm literally too sad to do it. being misgendered in person by my friends makes me feel so weak and hurt. especially since y'all know.
— Nutstice (@goodhorchata) July 12, 2018
my binder is super uncomfortable tonight but i'd rather be in pain then be misgendered
— big Beefy™ (@G0R0Ml) September 20, 2018
Despite this constant correction, and communicating the fact that she is a woman and would like to be spoken and referred to as such, nothing changed, and people still used the wrong name, and the wrong pronouns.
Similar cases have happened with transgender women in the past:
Aimee Stephens identifies as a transgender woman and informed her employer she would begin dressing as such. After spending six years with the company and getting continuous raises, positive reviews of her performance, and more, she was fired.
She was devastated:
"I always knew there was a chance they would go off the deep end, but I was really hoping they would be more tolerant of my decision. Losing my job was like a punch in the gut."
She came out as transgender and got fired. Now her case might become a test for LGBTQ rights before the US Supreme Court https://t.co/a5n3LMvPQz pic.twitter.com/8vFzKG6Ely
— FOX 61 (@FOX61News) September 5, 2018
Hope she wins her case. A person should not be fired for their gender identity.
— newsbreak123 (@newsbreak123) August 30, 2018
FIGHT, AIMEE, FIGHT!✊
— Liane Currier (@CurrierLiane) August 30, 2018
Right now there are no updates on either case.
If you or a loved one identifies as transgender and needs to talk to someone, call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.
H / T – Newsweek, Metro Weekly, Out and Equal
Written by Alex Maxx
Alex is an author with a passion for storytelling, black coffee, and the oxford comma. She has been published in POPSUGAR, Diply, Alloy, The Mighty, Yahoo, College Fashionista, and Her Campus. When she isn't busy attempting to smash the glass ceiling, or dismantling the patriarchy, she enjoys binge-watching true crime documentaries, online window shopping, and going on adventures and exploring new places.
Instagram: @thealexmaxx