Transgender People See The Ugly Face Of Discrimination

Employment discrimination in all of its ugliness is rampant against Transgender people even when there are non-discrimination laws in place. In this case, litigation in some form is necessary if the offended individual is willing to pursue legal recourse whether it be a civil court action, mediation or as in the following case, appealing to some type of employment commission. Our Transgender family, friends and allies need to realize that even if a fully inclusive Employment Non Discrimination Act makes its way through Congress and is signed into law, employment discrimination will still exist in its most subtle and ugly forms. Depending on circumstances, it is the individual's responsibility to seek wise legal advice and then pursue the avenue offering the best recourse.  'Transgender people need not apply' at J. Crew says Make the Road New York advocacy group BY ERICA PEARSON DAILY NEWS WRITER Sunday, March 14th 2010, 4:00 AM The sign at J. Crew and other retailers in the city might as well read "transgender people need not apply," said an advocacy group. Members of the nonprofit group Make the Road New York are rallying today in front of the preppy haven's Fifth Ave. location to protest what they say is employment discrimination. "I just feel like I had a big slap in my face," said Yo (Yozmit) Smith, 39, a transgender female performance artist from Brooklyn. Smith applied for jobs at dozens of retail stores in Manhattan as an openly transgender person. At the same time, a nontransgender person evenly matched in age, race and experience applied for the same jobs. Smith didn't get a single offer, but the other person got eight. Smith was one of two pairs of applicants who tested the hiring practices of retailers. J. Crew violated the city's human rights law, said Irene Tung of the group, which has filed a complaint with the state attorney general's office. A manager at the Fifth Ave. J. Crew where Smith applied declined to comment. Calls to the company's executive offices weren't returned. ORIGINAL ARTICLE