Kendra,
No offense, I am a lawyer, I know these issues in GREAT detail. If it does not say "gender identity" it really does not mean much for transgender people. Gender is equated with birth sex in non-discrimination policies when they are written, same goes for state laws (unless you live in one of the very small handfull states where gender has been interprated as gender identity, such as NY and Massachuesetts, but they are the exception rather than the rule). If you see gender as gender and not sex as far as the law...well I will tell you right now that interpration in most states would be incorrect, the way the law interprates it is gender=birth sex. There is a reason why the states with transgender protections put in place specifically state "GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION" as part of transgender protections. That is the way the law works. As much as the transgender population makes the distinction between sex and gender, the legal system for the most part does not make that distinction unless you talk about "gender identity". Unless "Gender Identity" is written into a law or company policy there is NO protection for transgender individuals.
This is a legal distinction, but one that is very important for civil rights issues. If you go under the illusion that gender non-discrimination policies will protect you, you would be very wrong, unless you were fortunate enough to live in one of the very few states that does interprate the law that way.
Also if you really believe in the open door policy is something to be relied on you should read through the forums of this site:
http://www.walmart-blows.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=4The "Open Door Policy" is a farce that has largely been used against the person reporting an issue, not for the person reporting the issue. If you think it is there to protect you from discrimination you are drinking the Kool-Aid and need to do a bit more research into the company you work for. The "Open Door Policy" is more a device built to be used as illusionary device that goes against employees than for them. As much as you think there would be reprecutions, I hate to break it to you, the open door policy has been used against employees on a consistant basis. If you suspect discrimination, it should be the last place you report it to, the state agency such as the Human Rights or Labor Agency should be the first. Wal-Mart has a history of using anything reported to them against their employees.
http://hrw.org/reports/2007/us0507/7.htm#_Toc164069679You should read up on the history of the company you are working for. Or just wait, the longer you work there the more cynical you will become. They have a well deserved nasty history that is fraught with discrimination, and it might be a good idea to break away from their brainwashing for awhile and read up on the subject.
As it stands they have absolutely no transgender non-discrimination policy.
