The Right Person for the Job
Here’s a scenario for you... I’m working at my desk with my two co-workers (we are all male), and someone (another male co-worker) enters our room and say, “Joe, I’m going to screw you.” I look at the co-worker who said that and reply, “You can’t say that, can you?” He replied, “Probably not,” and shrugged it off.
“Joe” isn’t the real name of the person who this was said to. I changed the name for the purpose of this story. But, the event did happen.
It’s amazing that, in 2005, after most companies have some sort of sexual harassment rules in place, that this still happens. In fact, in many states, it is the law. But such remarks are said in jest and people do not really mean it. Right?
But what about those cases where someone did take offense to a remark that was meant in a light-hearted way? The rule of thumb is, if you think there is any possible way for the remark to be taken the wrong way, don’t say it.
Telling someone, “I’m going to screw you” leaves little to the imagination. Everyone laughed, except for me, who questioned the appropriateness of the remark, in or out of the workplace. It would seem that people still have a lot to learn about sexual harassment and what constitutes sexual harassment. And, this has nothing to do with the fact that the remark was made from one male to another male. Sexual harassment has nothing to do with gender, what so ever.
As a nation, we have a long way to go. I know that sexual harassment has gone on for a long time in the workplace, before it was ever called sexual harassment. And, as more and more gay people have felt comfortable enough to come out of the closet at work, more claims of sexual harassment have been filed. So, when I heard Human Resources talk about sexual harassment, they were very clear in stating that sexual harassment did not depend on gender.
It’s great that we can all talk about this. And it’s great that we can go to a place that when someone says something inappropriate, there are people you can talk to who will make a formal complaint and deal with the problem.
But one area that is still not fully understood and is still the target of a lot of abuse are transgendered people. To me, it’s like the gay issue all over again. People, in general, think that being transgendered is pretty weird. They think it is “wrong”, and “unnatural”, and that, if you are transgendered, “you should change”. I put those words and phrases in quotes, because those words and phrases were said to someone who I used to work with.
The bigger issue for me is this; if sexual harassment is genderless, why is this an issue at all? I don’t know. I do know one moral absolute - everyone deserves to be treated equally, with dignity and respect. You may feel uncomfortable working with a gay person, or a transgendered person, but I assure you, your discomfort is nothing compared to the crap that person has to endure day in and day out.
And does it occur to any of us just how much courage it would take to confront the issue of changing your gender? Anyone who would be able to do that and hold on to a job, as they are being transformed into a new person, would have to be one brave individual. And, if you are in the situation of starting that process, you know (as I do) that this is not a choice (just as being gay is not a choice) - you have to be what you are.
Kent sent me a link today about David Schroer. David is in the process of becoming Diane Schroer. David applied to be a “terrorism research analyst” at the Library of Congress. He was accepted for the position. Then, after he told them that once work began, the name would be Diane, not David, the job offer was rescinded the next day.
The job candidate interviewing to be a terrorism research analyst at the Library of Congress seemed to have exceptional qualifications: a 25-year Army veteran and former Special Forces commander who spent a career hunting terrorists and often personally briefed the vice president, defense secretary or Joint Chiefs of Staff on sensitive operations.
The interviews and salary talks went well for David Schroer. A job offer followed, and he accepted. Then the new employee brought up one last item: Once work began, the name would be Diane, not David.
The job offer, Schroer said, was rescinded the next day.
Schroer, 48, recently began the medical transition to become a woman. The former Army Ranger believed that the library would be a welcoming place to make a gender transition: “It’s the United States government. It’s the Congress. It’s an eclectic, academic environment with a group of diverse people that all work together to get the job done.” (source)
Diane Schroer will file a lawsuit accusing the Library of Congress of sex discrimination. She will also ask that the job offer be reinstated.
I hope she wins. I hope she wins big time. But it should be no surprise that the Library of Congress is doing this. After all, Congress is still mulling over the idea of trying to change the U.S. Constitution to have two separate tiers of citizenship. Our government, just like many corporations out there, still have a lot to learn about dignity and respect for all of our citizens.
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I went to college with David Schroer and knew him as a brilliant, caring individual with a lot to offer. I could always count on him. I thought he was uncomfortable in his skin and am glad (but not surprised) that he is displaying the courage to make the transition to Diane and fighting the clear discrimination by the Library of Congress. I KNOW THAT DIANE AND JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!
I am transsexual, living in Washington DC, and a Manager for a busy Gold's Gym and wanted to tell her past Boss to come by my Gym on 1120 20th street and even though she may not be a good fit I will welcome her.
Johnna Fisher
Washington DC
Sexual Harrassment 101
If you were threatened or felt uncomfortable because of what your co-worker said -- even if it was said to someone else -- it is sexual harassment.
Creating a sexually charged atmosphere by making inappropriate comments is against the law. If you objected and the behavior continues, you can claim sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.
Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to the following:
The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome.
I also hope she wins. I worked with a transgendered person years ago. Her name used to be Jeff, and she was quite a lovely person, even if her other job was being a prostitute.
We worked the night shift together for at least a year, and would often have lunch together. One night she told me she was amazed that I not once asked her about her once having been a man. I told her that I knew that was the case, but figured her reasons where her own, and that she would talk about it if she wanted to.
That she was amazed, amazed me, because I was young and naive and really didn't realize the horrors she had been through. She went on to tell me all about what it was like to live as a man while inside feeling like a woman, and all the pain she suffered not only through her own emotions etc., but also at the hands, and mouths, of other people.
I couldn't, and cannot, understand why people can't except the fact that some people are different, and that is just the way it is.