Transgender teaching sub won’t return in NJ
Lily McBeth, a substitute teacher from Little Egg Harbor Township, became a national symbol of acceptance for transgender Americans in 2006 when the Eagleswood and Pinelands Regional school districts kept her on the job despite protests from some parents.
But McBeth said the number of teaching assignments she got from both school districts dwindled from 10 to 20 calls when she was William McBeth to just one or two calls per semester. McBeth sent a letter to Eagleswood Township officials stating that she will not return in the fall and she plans to send a similar notice to the Pinelands Regional School District.
“I’m trying to get out with grace and dignity,” McBeth, 74, said in a phone interview Wednesday. “It’s just a shame the school district - they had an opportunity … to teach the students and the staff something about tolerance and diversity, and they look good for putting me back on the list. But what they did with me once I got on the list was hang me out to dry.”
McBeth added that she wants to keep her decision to leave “calm and peaceful.”
“I’m not interested in stirring up a hornet’s nest,” she said.
McBeth, who grew up in Atlantic City, had gender-reassignment surgery in 2005.
Detlef Kern, superintendent of Pinelands Regional, declined to comment when reached by phone Wednesday.
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DOJ Will Not Appeal Veteran’s VictoryIn Transgender Discrimination Case
Signals Commitment By Obama Administration To Protect Transgender Workers From Discrimination
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Justice decided not to appeal a federal court ruling awarding transgender veteran Diane Schroer the maximum compensation for the discrimination she suffered after being refused a job with the Library of Congress. The deadline for seeking an appeal was June 30. The American Civil Liberties Union has represented Schroer in her case.
The Obama administration’s decision whether to appeal the final ruling in the case has been closely watched in part because the Bush administration defended the case so vigorously, arguing that transgender Americans are not protected by any existing federal laws. The decision not to appeal the verdict is consistent with the Obama administration’s campaign promises to protect transgender workers against discrimination and his administration’s recent order taking steps to bar gender identity discrimination in federal employment.
“I am grateful that the court took the time to examine the case in detail and come to a fair and unbiased decision. In that same light, I am gratified that the current administration saw this for what it was, a case of sex discrimination focused against transgender people, and recognized that it must end in this country,” said Schroer, an Army Special Forces veteran with 25 years service. “The important signal that the administration’s decision sends to all LGBT individuals gives me renewed hope and restores some of my shaken faith in what our country stands for.”
On April 29, 2009, a federal court awarded Schroer maximum damages of $491,190 for back pay, other financial losses and emotional pain and suffering after finding the Library illegally discriminated against Schroer because of her sex. At trial, Schroer testified that she had applied for a position with the Library of Congress as the senior terrorism research analyst and was offered the job. Prior to starting work, she took her future boss to lunch to explain that she was in the process of transitioning and wished to start work presenting as female. The following day, Schroer received a call from her future boss rescinding the offer, telling her that she wasn’t a “good fit” for the Library of Congress.
“We are pleased and relieved that the Obama administration has decided to bring an end not only to years of hard-fought litigation but also to a painful chapter of Ms. Schroer’s extraordinary life,” said Sharon McGowan, a staff attorney with the ACLU LGBT Project. “The administration’s decision not to challenge this important civil rights ruling is a welcome sign that it intends to live up to its commitment to help end transgender discrimination in the workplace.”
The ACLU filed the lawsuit against the Library of Congress on June 2, 2005, charging that the library unlawfully refused to hire Schroer in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. In an earlier ruling in this case, the court issued a groundbreaking opinion that discriminating against someone who transitions from living as one gender to another is sex discrimination under federal law. In reaching this decision, the court compared the discrimination faced by Schroer to religious-based discrimination, saying, “Imagine that an employee is fired because she converts from Christianity to Judaism. Imagine too that her employer testified that he harbors no bias toward either Christians or Jews but only ‘converts.’ That would be a clear case of discrimination ‘because of religion.’ No court would take seriously the notion that ‘converts’ are not covered by the statute.” The court also ruled that the library was guilty of sex stereotyping against Schroer because of its view that she failed to live up to traditional notions of what is male or female.
“This case put employers on notice that discrimination against transgender individuals is like any other form of discrimination – counterproductive and against our principles as a nation,” added Schroer. “But this case alone won’t end the rampant discrimination that transgender people face throughout the country. That’s why we need Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that was introduced last week.”
In addition to McGowan, the legal team consisted of Ken Choe, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU LGBT Project, James Esseks, Litigation Director for the ACLU LGBT Project and Arthur Spitzer, Legal Director of the ACLU of the Nation’s Capital.
A copy of the decision, the complaint, a video, a bio and photographs of Diane Schroer are available at: http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/transgender/24969res20050602.html
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Baldwin bill seeks to end LGBT health disparities
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin introduced the Ending Health Disparities for LGBT Americans Act (ELHDA) on Tuesday, the first comprehensive approach to improving all areas of the health care system where lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans face inequality and discrimination.
“Our current health care system fails LGBT Americans on many levels,” said …
Tags: Act, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Current Health, Discrimination, Health Care System, Health Disparities, Health System, Inequality, Tammy Baldwin, Transgender AmericansAs PRIDE Month Begins, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine Celebrates the Contributions of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans
WASHINGTON, DC — Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine today issued the following statement marking June as PRIDE Month:
“Today, on behalf of Democrats across our nation, the Democratic National Committee pays recognition to PRIDE month — a time to join together in celebrating the contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans and their families make to our society. We also take this time to reaffirm our commitment to being a Party of inclusion and one that stands firm in promoting equality for every American.
“As Democrats and Americans, we believe we all are created equal and we have fought against discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, and attempts to divide us instead of unite us.
“The cause of ending discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans has taken a giant leap forward. With a Democrat in the White House who is committed to equality and justice, we have reached significant milestones. The Obama Administration is the first to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in its first 100 days and it has partnered with the international community at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world.
“The Administration is concentrating on a number of measures to ensure equality for all — such as supporting civil unions, Federal rights for LGBT couples, stronger hate crimes laws, ridding our military of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in a way that both ensures national security and strengthens our Armed forces, banning discrimination in the work place, fighting HIV/AIDS and ensuring adoption rights.
“We as a Party and as a people have come a long way, and we should be proud of what we have accomplished thus far in promoting equal rights for all Americans. But we still have much more to do. As we move ahead with a Democratic Congress and President committed to equality for all Americans, we look forward to a nation where discrimination of any kind is a thing of the past.
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Needs of gay, transgender patients not adequately addressed
The healthcare industry is not adequately addressing the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender patients, says an annual report from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. Released for the third year in a row, the Healthcare Equality Index is a national report that sets benchmarks and highlights best practices and healthcare facility policies for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
Based on responses to an online survey conducted from October through December 2008, the report addressed patient non-discrimination and visitation policies, cultural-competency training, recognition of legal documents between same-sex partners, and the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees through fair employment policies. Responses came from 93 hospitals and 73 clinics across the country. See
Needs of gay, transgender patients not adequately addressed …
ModernHealthcare.com * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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