The first Amendment states the right to speech, press, expression and religion. People should be allowed to express how they feel without fear of discrimination. For transgender people it’s hard especially in the workplace. The definition of transgender is “denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender.” This definition is stating that the gender someone is born with does not match the gender they believe they are in their current state. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on basis of sex. What that means is you are not allowed to be fired for your gender. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has said employers have to stop discriminating transgender people, because it is against the law now.
In the case of Dawson V. H & H Electric Inc., Patricia Dawson was fired for transitioning from male to female. The transition was to help Dawson’s case of gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is a medical diagnosis given to patients whose gender they go by now is different from the one they had at birth. When Dawson told her boss that she was transgender her boss made her go by her birth name, Steven, even though she had legally changed her name to Patricia. She was also told not to talk about her transition with her co-workers. As time went by, Patricia started to wear makeup and more feminine clothes, she was fired. Her boss told her she was too much of a distraction. Dawson filed a case saying her boss is violating the 7th act of the Civil Rights Act. Her boss is for sure violating the 7th act if the Civil Rights Act. No trial has happened yet but the complaint has been filed.
These rights matter to me because I have friends who have gender dysphoria but fear being discriminated and will not be able to work. They also fear transition because of what people will do or say to them. I want the people in my life to be happy and being discriminated for their gender is not okay. It violates our freedom of expression.
Another viewpoint on this is that when people are transitioning while working at a job it can cause a distraction like the Dawson V. H & H Electric Inc. case. Dawson’s transition did not cause a distraction and she was very polite about the transition. She informed her boss she was transitioning and showed him legal proof she had changed her name. Her boss denied this and told her she will still be addressed as Steven. This violated her freedom of expression to be the person she wants to be. Her transition was not distracting to anyone unless someone had a problem with it. Her boss also told her to keep her transition very quiet because H & H Electric Inc. was doing a deal for Remington and did not want to lose business over Dawson.
Transgender people are fighting for nondiscrimination by speaking up about if they are being discriminated for their gender. There are programs that help transgender people who have lost jobs because of their transition or gender dysphoria. There are also LGBT community centers where people of different sexualities can go and discuss problems in the community without fear of discrimination.
In conclusion, transgender people who are discriminated in the workplace need to bring it up with the law. People being discriminated for their gender is illegal and it needs to stop. This also is not just for transgender people. Men and Women in general are discriminated in the workplace. Gender should not determine how much money you make or where you work. Everyone should be equal in every way.
In the case of Dawson V. H & H Electric Inc., Patricia Dawson was fired for transitioning from male to female. The transition was to help Dawson’s case of gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is a medical diagnosis given to patients whose gender they go by now is different from the one they had at birth. When Dawson told her boss that she was transgender her boss made her go by her birth name, Steven, even though she had legally changed her name to Patricia. She was also told not to talk about her transition with her co-workers. As time went by, Patricia started to wear makeup and more feminine clothes, she was fired. Her boss told her she was too much of a distraction. Dawson filed a case saying her boss is violating the 7th act of the Civil Rights Act. Her boss is for sure violating the 7th act if the Civil Rights Act. No trial has happened yet but the complaint has been filed.
These rights matter to me because I have friends who have gender dysphoria but fear being discriminated and will not be able to work. They also fear transition because of what people will do or say to them. I want the people in my life to be happy and being discriminated for their gender is not okay. It violates our freedom of expression.
Another viewpoint on this is that when people are transitioning while working at a job it can cause a distraction like the Dawson V. H & H Electric Inc. case. Dawson’s transition did not cause a distraction and she was very polite about the transition. She informed her boss she was transitioning and showed him legal proof she had changed her name. Her boss denied this and told her she will still be addressed as Steven. This violated her freedom of expression to be the person she wants to be. Her transition was not distracting to anyone unless someone had a problem with it. Her boss also told her to keep her transition very quiet because H & H Electric Inc. was doing a deal for Remington and did not want to lose business over Dawson.
Transgender people are fighting for nondiscrimination by speaking up about if they are being discriminated for their gender. There are programs that help transgender people who have lost jobs because of their transition or gender dysphoria. There are also LGBT community centers where people of different sexualities can go and discuss problems in the community without fear of discrimination.
In conclusion, transgender people who are discriminated in the workplace need to bring it up with the law. People being discriminated for their gender is illegal and it needs to stop. This also is not just for transgender people. Men and Women in general are discriminated in the workplace. Gender should not determine how much money you make or where you work. Everyone should be equal in every way.