Transgender Rights in the Workplace Are Still Unclear
By Julie Turkewitz
Jun 21 2012, 2:28 PM ET
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/transgender-rights-in-the-workplace-are-still-unclear/258822/There's no doubt that today the U.S. is more trans-friendly than it was a decade ago. In 2010, Amanda Simpson became the nation's first openly transgender presidential appointee. Big companies like Macy's, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan have introduced measures to ensure that transgender employees and customers feel comfortable. In Philadelphia, thundering speeches from teen activists like Ryan Cassata, a Long Island-based transman, punctuated the conference. At one point, an attendee asked panel speakers if they would use a magic wand to "undo" their transgender status. Jazz, a tween transgirl, said she would break the wand in half.
But for many, maneuvering the binary gender world is still a twisty path laden with lurking prejudices. Try being transgender in a small town, or a homeless shelter, or a prison. "Privilege is invisible unless you are forced to think about it," said Kate McDonough, lead organizer at Empire State Pride Agenda.
