Here's a bit of background: I live in Southern Ontario, Canada. I have a job. I am a cashier. I'm starting to come out as transgendered at work.
I am transgendered. I love me. I truly believe I am awesome, I love my life, I'm happy being me. I hated my life before I came out. I've contemplated suicide. Blah blah blah. So me being out in every aspect of life is a good thing and living where I live I know I have my rights to do so.
I've asked my manager to call me "Chris" at work. I have a nametag that says that name as well. She was doing it for a while until I told her I'm legally changing my name to Ryan. Then she started calling me by my female name, Amanda.
I'm out to all of my co-workers. They all support me. They're totally awesome. They're all on board with me. Yesterday, I went up to my manager and politely reminded her that I like to be called Chris. Her response: "Okay Amanda but I'm having a hard time with it." Her tone was quick and cold.
We are unionized. I know who my union reps are in the store, one of them I really like and trust. I met the region's union rep, the higher-up guy, yesterday, I shook his hand. I think he knows something's really ->-bleeped-<-ed up with my store's management. He posted a number for us to call if we have any issues. Another coworker has said in the years she's worked there, this is the first time she's ever even heard of a higher-up union rep. She believes the owner of the store has tried to hide the fact that his employees can even talk to the union about his management.
My old roommate, who is black, applied there for a cash job. She was handed her resume back and told to reapply in January. Shortly after this, a white girl was hired. Any other non-white employees work in the deli, at the back of the store, behind a tall refrigerated counter.
My manager hires only females as cashiers. Only males are hired in grocery, produce, and meat. Any males that have been hired have been fired shortly after hire. Any issues I have ever brought up with my manager have been responded to with "We're unionized, I can't change that." I have a feeling she tells her employees that certain things can't be done because of the union, giving us an impression that the union is useless and unhelpful.
Here is my plan of action. I am going to talk to my store's union rep about my concerns. I am going to come out to my manager as transgendered. I am going to start taking testosterone soon and even though I'm moving to a new city in five weeks and will be quitting, I want to know how far she will go to deny my rights and treat me unfairly. I am a great employee, I've never been written up, warned, or lectured. I've attended the majority of my shifts, missing only a few due to illnesses. I take call-ins. I treat my customers very well and provide high-standard customer service. Considering all of this my manager has started treating me more and more unfairly, and been to-my-face rude. Before I started coming out, she treated me just as well as any other cashier there.
If she says anything along the lines of "I can't allow you to transition here" I plan on talking to the union as well as a few activist friends of mine, and even going to the media.
However, I don't know what I should or can do about the obvious racism within the store. I feel a need to do something but it's not my battle. I am Caucasian, I've never experienced racism myself, and the incident that happened did NOT happen to me. It's not my place to fight my old roommates battle, nor anyone else's. I really, really don't want to let this slide, there's NO room for racism in this century, in this country, in this city. People need and deserve employment, regardless of skin colour, regardless of gender, regardless of sexual orientation.
Are there any thoughts on this situation? I've talked to a lot of my friends about it and many think I have an issue I need to deal with, but I'm still not completely sure. I am moving to a new city soon. But I can't leave this behind. I don't feel like I can be aware of this discrimination and not do anything. They are sexist obviously racist and sexist. Right now, as a trans person, I am not a protected citizen. I can be fired on the grounds of being transgendered and the government won't give two ->-bleeped-<-s. But there are definintely other people who are being victimized here.
