Trans woman sues after being asked for photo of genitals

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

A trans woman who claims she was asked by her employer for a photograph of her genitals has filed a lawsuit.

Kate Lynn Blatt, 28, says that Manpower Inc told her she needed to provide photographic proof of her sex to avoid issues with lockers and bathrooms.

Blatt, of Pennsylvania, US, was employed by the staffing firm as a temporary factory worker at Sapa Industrial Extrusions in 2007. She was dismissed by Sapa after a month when it was decided she was not healthy enough to do her job.

Shortly afterwards, she returned to Manpower Inc to get her job back. She alleges she was told by branch manager Irene Kudziela that she needed to provide a letter from her surgeon as proof of her gender reassignment surgery and a photograph of her genitals, which Kudziela allegedly said would iron out any issues over which facilities she should use.

Blatt told told the Philadelphia Gay News that the request was “disgusting” and that she refused to provide the documents and photograph.

She has filed a bias complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission against both Manpower Inc and Sapa, arguing wrongful dismissal due to her gender identity and disability, which she said was gender dysphoria.

“I was trying to work there in a dignified and private manner, but my dignity and privacy were constantly being violated,” she said.

A Manpower Inc spokeswoman told the newspaper she could not comment on the specifics of the case but said: “The biggest thing to remember is that we’re absolutely committed to the safety and security of our workforce, including the transgender members of our workforce. We’re committed to having diversity in our workforce.”

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments