Have any of you ever sued for discrimination?

[KateSpade83]

Have any of you ever sued for discrimination? Like you know you got laid off or restructured out of a job simply because they thought you were gay or they found out about your crossdressing? Did you sue? How did it turn out? Were you blacklisted?

I've didn't go permanent at MPC Products.
Fired at first slip at Platt Luggage.
Fired when I got angry at someone who always sang weird songs when I was around at Durable Packaging.
Deliberately made fun of at the company Xmas party and fired two weeks later on a setup from Synchro Start [worst employer]
Deliberately RESTRUCTURED out of my position as a Technical Writer at Pentair Electronic Packaging. The Eng Boss remarked I was "gay" and he made my other coworkers do the tech writing to restructure me out.

LIFE SUCKS and I never sued anybody but I wonder if I'm being blacklisted in Chicago because I apply for lots of jobs here but ain't getting even an interview when I last work for NASA...

[Shikyo]

Nope, it's very hard to prove that it was discrimination and here in Finland, it's not worth suing anyone unless you know you can win as in the worse case scenario you'll end up having to pay alone for the whole fun.

[battybattybats]

There's been some high-profile wins like Diane Schroer.

Try contacting some of the pro-TG legal groups like Lamda Legal perhaps for advice.

[Miranda-E]

That's an awful lot of jobs to lose for being gay. Are you positive being gay is the reason?
You can always contact glaad for legal service advice.

[Marissa Anne]

In Vancouver, if you fired everyone for not being straight, you couldn't run your company. They don't call it San Francisco North for nothing.

Most people I know want to keep their best employees. That said, bad companies are just that: bad. There's no point in suing them...I'd just deprive them of my skill and go seek their competitors out so I can help put them out of business. Thats the best revenge.

Marissa

[karynspanties]

You were fired from all of those jobs for being gay? Are you sure you were'nt putting your cd habits into someones face? If you did not have these incidents documented.....it's your word against theirs. You maybe getting black listed. It's against the law in most if not all the states,but prove it. Especially in this economy. I really think that you need to sit back and seriously think about what you did at each of those jobs to make poeple make those comments and when you do get a job, and you will, mind your own business, keep the cd thing under wraps and do your job. My last job (the place went out of business), two poeple new about my cd'ing. This was a tool & die shop. One guy was in the cadroom with me, he liked seeing my panties, always wanted to see what color and style I had on that day. The other guy was from the floor. He saw the waist band one day and made a comment about guys wearing panties and being able to see the waistband. I ignored the comment and made sure my pants were up and my shirts pulled down. I never pushed it into someones face, never talked about it except with the guy in the cadroom only to find out he wore his wifes panties from time to time. Kate, just do not push it into poeples faces, do not show pics of yourself dressed. Try and keep work separate from your cd activities. Just my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

[Sharon]

If you can produce any sort of written documentation, or get knowledgeable people willing to support your claims and then testify in your defense, then you will have a chance if you file discriminatory charges, Otherwise, the burden will be on you to prove what you say is true.

[Deborah Jane]

I'd just deprive them of my skill and go seek their competitors out so I can help put them out of business. Thats the best revenge.

Marissa

Good advice, i've done that myself a few times after falling out with the companies i've worked for!!

Suing for discrimination is very hard to prove unless it was done blatently, most companies will make sure they've also got other [legitimate] reasons for getting rid of you if they want too!

[Shiny]

I have never been discriminated against for being who I am as I have kept my "hobby" to myself for years.

However I think discrimination absolutely sucks and if you feel you have been discriminated against for ANY reason I would recommend finding a good civil rights lawyer.

A couple years ago I was called into the office and while the boss patted me on the back telling me how good a job I had done for yet another year he was pissing down my leg by telling me I wouldn't be hired back the following year because "there wasn't enough work." So after a decade of loyal dedication to my job I was canned. I later learned I was let go due to a physical disability which was slowing me down a bit in moving around but never hampered my job or abilities.

Well, without a job I was totally screwed now, looking at loosing my car, my house even and not being able to pay my bills. But I did get the 22 weeks of unemployment (which wasn't enough by half though).

I then did some research and learned that I indeed had a valid discrimination case. The company didn't want me on their insurance rolls and was worried I would trip and break a leg or something on the job. Then they looked at my age!

I called an underling boss I had had for several years on different projects and tossed my thoughts into the air knowing full well he'd tell the big boss. I mentioned looking into an age discrimination lawsuit as well as the Americans With Disabilities Act Of 1974!

I must have done my homework because a week later I got a phone call and was offered my job back! I declined and have since moved on because I knew I would be going back to a hostile workplace. That's another problem but at least I got my point across!

People for whatever reason should never have to be bullied or put up with psychlogical torture on the job by being sniped at, passed over or ignored or put down in any way. It's a shame the workplace is as it is these days but that's the way society is nowadays. It's no-class anymore and it's getting meaner and tougher all the time.

If you get hassled at work talk to the boss about arbitration or some other method to address your grievances, but--you'll have that hostile workplace problem once you start rocking-the-boat. If that doesn't solve things get a good lawyer. You should be intitled to both compensatory damages as well as punative damages!

[battybattybats]

An alternative to suing for past wrongs (or in addition to it) might be to support (gender expression inclusive) ENDA to reducve the chance of further employment discrimination in your future.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11685/employment-nondiscrimination-act-introduced-in-us-house

Some extra protection for your job if you get outted or transition, even if it cannot be perfect, would at least improve matters somewhat.

[KateSpade83]

I never worked at any place and openly let them know I crossdress. Don't even wear panties to work... I keep it all secret but gossip always spread around that "I'm gay" - and then bad things happen...

The Pentair Boss who restructured me out - he didn't last long and was replaced! Good for him!

[karynspanties]

Well you must be giving out a gay vibe then. I just do not believe all of these companies let you go for being gay and you did nothing to instigate it. I just do not buy it. Sorry Kate, your not giving us all of the information.

[Marissa Anne]

It may be hard for some to understand, including myself, since I've never encountered that level of discrimination. In my experience, no-one cares as long as you're good at what you do.

That said, it may depend on geographical location and industry, and the company culture. Major urban centers won't care. Large companies CAN'T care for fear of liability. Some companies have safety programs for GLBT employees.

A lot of the times it is perception. I took over managing a team of people one time, and some of the new team members came up to me and told me that they were concerned about how I would react to the fact that "one of the members of the team is gay!".

Ooooh. Gay? Really? He might make US gay too! I have to figure out how to get rid of him!

:rolleyes:

Marissa

[Jenny Brown]

LIFE SUCKS and I never sued anybody but I wonder if I'm being blacklisted in Chicago because I apply for lots of jobs here but ain't getting even an interview when I last work for NASA...
I'm going to say it will be nearly impossible for you to prove any kind of discrimination charge. Is there any documentation, proof, etc. to back up a discrimination charge?
As far as being "blacklisted", who knows? It may be a distinct possibility.
It may be easier for you to just move.:doh:

[KandisTX]

Kate,

Like others have said, it will be difficult to prove discrimination based on you being a CD or Gay. The instances you cited appear to be legitimate reasons for termination of employment. Although, I am not a lawyer, I would suggest that if you really want to pursue a legal avenue you should seek legal counsel from an attorney.

Kandis:love::rose2:

[KateSpade83]

Well you must be giving out a gay vibe then. I just do not believe all of these companies let you go for being gay and you did nothing to instigate it. I just do not buy it. Sorry Kate, your not giving us all of the information.

In guy mode or at work, I 100% have NO gay vibes or mannerisms. I'm a dude when not in a dress!

[dawnmarrie1961]

No body ever wins when lawyers are involved. Discrimination is often impossible to prove. Most employers are smart enough to have you sign certain documents that give them pretty much the power to cut you loose when ever they want to, no reason required.Legal documents created by, yes you guessed it, lawyers.

Sometimes an employee will unconsciously do something that causes them to get fired. Sure it was unintentional but because of liability the employer just can't take the chance that it won't happen again. Thanks again to the lawyers.

Best to just move on and find a better more satisfying position else where.

[falcongts]

Like others said If your good at what you do It would cost them to much to get rid of you not saying your a bad worker you may be better elsewere
and have a better

for me (Im hardheaded)had to learn the hard way 5 years in sales hard to move up Was me looking back plant shut down ,another sales company called me on my last day at that job and offered me a job there 10 years
quit because of sunday work 10 years at the job im at now the company is going under we are down to 2 people days left now I have a good name now

IM slow. both hands ,feet are deformed 2 disk in my back are bad

Take what you learned from them jobs It will make you a better person
At one time I had a bad name now i have a good name even though i had some bad jobs I learned from that and it made me a better person
good luck
Terri

[battybattybats]

If it was impossible to win such cases then why is it some do win these cases?

Diane Schroer for example won her case.
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Health/story?id=5843396&page=1

Now whether or not any one of us can win depends on:

A. The strength of our case

B. The quality of our lawyers

C. The laws that apply to us.

A differs in every case, B depends on your wealth or the organisations that you can call on to help and C varies state to state and can also depend on the nature of your employer.

[Kimberly Marie Kelly]

remember, in the US all 50 states subscribe to what's called "employement at will". Which means in simple terms that if we as an employee can resign from a job for no reason, a company can let you go for no reason at all as well. They don't have to give a reason.

The federal and state laws protect against discrimination for many things, sex, religion, race etc... but it you think you were fired for one of those reasons, you need to prove that the company fired you for that reason, which means you or your lawyer needs to show that the company has a history of letting people go for these reason. Do you know if other people at these companies were let go for being gay as well? If so you may have a case.. But as others say it depends on the companies history and it is usually your word against them.

Plus anyone who crossdress's often, usually give's off some clues or mannerism's of their feminine side, which others would see as gay properties. Plus as you have said in previous post's you have gone out openly to job fairs and interviews dressed up as a women, this world is smaller than we know and it is possible that companies or people at these companies know you as a crossdresser. Their is a theory that Kevin Bacon exposited that there are 6 degree's of separation between everyone on earth. In simple terms if you ask one person about you and they ask one person and so on, by the time you get to the sixth person they will know who you are..

Any way good luck if you pursue a legal case. :battingeyelashes: