As a Transsexual, discrimination is always possible and some would even say probable.  It would be interesting to see how our Transsexual membership here at Susan's has been personally discriminated against.  I would like to see actual cases of discrimination not perceived cases, or those that you have heard about.  I would like to see those incidents that have actually happened.

It could serve as a caution to others who join.

Steph

Discrimination can come in many forms.  As I am not completely full time I can only speak of discrimination in the form of family/friend rejection.

Since coming out to family and friends I've lost a lot.  My two sons have not spoken to me.  When I sent my youngest son a Christmas card with a gift in it last year, he handed the card to his mom (my ex) and told her she can read it and to do whatever she wants with the money.  She keeps telling me the boys will come around but I haven't seen any sign of it.  The only reason for this is I am transsexual.  I was a good father and a good provider.  Once it was discovered I was transsexual, all that was erased.

My only brother is a ghost.  He doesn't call back.  He doesn't answer my e-mails.  I stopped trying over a year ago.  We haven't seen each other or talked for over two years.  My mother says she's okay but never calls or writes.  She'll take my call but it seems like all she wants to do is get it over with.  I stopped trying with her too.  Two of my four sisters also fall into the ghost category.  One of them was going to have Thanksgiving at their house.  The invitations went out to the 'special' ones.  One sister said "for obvious reasons some were not invited".  Thankfully I have a sister who isn't so judgemental and I spent Thanksgiving there.

The friends who know no longer call.  And it's just as well.  Almost all are extremely transphobic and it would be a never ending uphill battle.

What I've learned is there are people who will judge you for who you are inside and some who will judge you by your appearance.  I've come to the conclusion I'll stick with the former and not concern myself with the latter.

Please don't comment on this post.  It's intended only to provide an idea of how the people closest to me reacted negatively simply because I'm trans.  Most of this has already been posted and discussed elsewhere.  Thank you.

Julie

NOTE: Please no replies, this is simply a first hand account of Blatant Discrimination that I have experienced!

  March 2006, I get a call from my union dispatch asking me if I wanted to go out to Alberta to work. I was informed that my accomodations would be supplied by my employer and that I would be living in a construction camp and working at Syncrude. I was also informed that I had to get there and leave basically at my own expense. Prior to transition and many years ago I had been on projects and lived in the camps so I had an idea as to what to expect.
  I finally recieved my dispatch and then had to go into Halifax and have various tests done to see if I had traces of alchohol and or narcotics in my system. The test came back clean and I was informed by the company to come on out and what camp to check into.
  Friday morning I fly out of Halifax International and arrive at Ft.McMurray at about 1:30 PM. After a commuter ride of 130.00 I finally arrive at a camp with accomodations. The original camp was full and I had to be relocated to another. I proceed to the front desk ie security and present my union dispatch slip and my photo NS drivers license. The security agent verifies the documentation and checks me into the camp and assigns me to the Female dorm. I take care of a few minor details over the weekend and have one guy try and pick me up while in Ft.McMurray on Sunday.
  Monday morning I board the shuttle bus and arrive at the Syncrude facility where I have to go thru the check in process with them and am issued a Syncrude ID badge. Then it is off to the company office on site to go thru their check in process. Tuesday morning is back to the company office and picking up gear ie clothing hardhat etc and then I have to take an Alberta course in Fall Prevention as they don't recognize my Nova Scotia certification. Wednesday morning arrives and finally I am assigned a work crew and actually being work, 10 hour shifts. Two things of interest here, one the foreman tries to put me down as a 3rd year apprentice ie reduced wage and two pushing me to work seven days a week. I informed him that I would not have a problem with 6 days a week but was unsure about 7 days due to shuttle bus service from the camp I was in, 20 miles to the north.
  Thursday morning arrives and I arrive at the work gang dispatch area. I am assigned a new partner and we are assigned with others to form a new crew. We arrive at our work station and begin our task. During the course of the day one of the guys on the crew strikes up a conversation about when I had begun my transition etc. We finish the day and I go back to camp. At about 8:30 or 9:00 PM that night I have a knock on my door. I open it and am confronted by two camp security officers. The woman asks to see ID. Without thinking I show her my drivers license. Upon examining it she hands it back and has a brief conversation with her male conterpart and then say they will be back shortly.
15 minutes later they are back at my door and informing me that there has been a mistake and that I am to be moved into the male dorms. Due to the lateness and in light of my shift times they inform me that they will be back Friday night to escort me into the male dorms. I protest and make it clear to them that I have been clinically diagnosed as having GID of the Male to Female type. It is made abudantly clear to me by her that due to the gender marker being 'M' then I WILL be moved into the male dorms. I asked if there had been any complaints about me being in this dorm to which she replied no. In fact they did NOT even offer to move me into the co-ed dorms.  Needless to say I was quite upset by all of this and got a fitful sleep that night. I went into work on Friday morning but decided that I must speak with camp management to try and arrive at a mutually accpetable solution. I left the complex and when back out to the camp. While waiting for the shuttle someone from the company I was employed by came up and asked what was gong on. I proceeded to tell him the whole set of events from the night before and explained that I was going to spend the day attempting to settle this issue with the camp management and IF I could not then I would be returning to Nova Scotia. The day was a total waste of time as NO one from management was willing to talk to me about the issue of being moved for no appearanct reason other then the gender marker on my ID, which I might add I DID not have to show them to begin with. Saturday morning I check out of the camp and after a 150.00 taxi ride am back at the Ft. McMurray airport awaiting my flight home. This time of course my plane ticket cost me in the area of 900.00.
  After arriving home in Nova Scotia I thought that perhaps I should check the Alberta Human Rights code being as the provincial medical plan does pay for SRS it seemed only logical that they would have legislation on the books preventing discrimination. As it stands they do have laws protecting Transgendered individuals against discrimination. I have filed a Human Rights discrimination action against the company I was working for and it has been accepted by the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal and is now pending.
  I have now had my gender changing surgery and changed my birthrecords to reflect that as well as all my other primary ID's. Any further discrimination I may face will be against me as a Female.

A few interesting notes to make here. The company I worked for briefly is international in nature. They had at that time NO policy on the treatment of transgendered individuals, but did have a policy on gays and lesbians. Albertans have a tendency to whine about people wanting the government to pay for this and that, well here I was trying to EARN the money to Pay for my SRS go figure. Oh yes and one other thing. The morning I left the camp while going to breakfast and passing the guys heading out to the shuttle buses I could see blatant hatred in their eyes when they looked at me! Some of you may ask whats the big deal about being in a male dorm. All I can say is that I have been Sexually assaulted by the Male ANIMAL and know first hand just how vicious they can be.

Byee,
  Brina

I have not had any real forms of discrimination that I didn't overcome and come out on top. Now, the only one that I thought was kind of embarressing but not to me but to the people in charge. I was at a mall and I have just came out of the womans restroom and one of the security people came up to me and politely asked for my ID and I gave it to them. Fortunately it had been changed and I had asked him if he made it a habit of checking ID from people going to the restroom. He had told me no and that someone had complained. I told him I wanted to see his supervisor. So we went upstairs and I had told him that I thought that was very unprofessional of the security here at the mall for checking ID cause you had received a complaint. He told me that they don't check ID for that reason. Hmmm. He appoligized to me and gave me a 10 dollar gift certificate for any store in the mall, excluding alcohol. I left and I guess that security person got an ear full. I immediately file a protest with the city of Eugene.  I have not had anything else happen to me and I have been half way around the world. I have had reversed discrimination in that when I was first transitioning someone would say that I was in the wrong restroom meaning that I went into the men's side and was told the womans was around the corner. That happen twice, cause I was insecure at the time and I was in a redneck town.
Actually I have been treated quite well, even with all the people that know I'm TG.
Sheila

Doctor stopped taking appointments from me.  This was a GP.

In an emergency room, my curtain (all areas were small, private alcoves that had drapes running across the front, plenty of lighting and room) was never closed and I was part of the tour for employees.

Lawyers that refused to speak to me after I mentioned that I was TS.

Was read by an interviewer for one job and he took me outside and around the corner to do the interview.  Never got another phone call or letter from them.

I won't even start to list what dealing with the police can be like in the South.

In my case, the only two incidents of discrimination were a long time ago, early in transition. I'll leave the (extended) family stuff to one side as it's not quite the same thing in my view. Anyway:

• Job interview: being told that the clients wouldn't be able to handle it. Was easily the best-qualified person there and was also the only bilingual applicant (a key requirement of the post). I have a much better job these days in a far larger organisation with better benefits and prospects so it was their loss.

• When volunteering, I once became the subject of a little fracas involving a Muslim staff member of the organisation who took considerable exception to my use of the women's loos. It was resolved by me changing my hours so that I was there when she wasn't (she was a part-time worker).