Transgendered Woman Wins Sex Discrimination Case

[DeliaTS]

In Potentially Groundbreaking Case, Court Finds Sex Discrimination Law Applies to Transgendered Woman

. . . A transgendered woman, who lost a job offer because of her sexual status, has won a potentially groundbreaking federal sex discrimination lawsuit.

A federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., ruled today that the Library of Congress discriminated against Diane Schroer when it offered her a job and then rescinded it after learning she was transgendered.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Schroer, said Judge James Robertson's ruling is the first to hold that the federal sex discrimination statute, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, applies to transgendered people.

Other courts that have considered the issue have said Congress only intended for the anti-discrimination statute to protect men and women, but not people who change their sex, the ACLU said. . . .

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Here's the full article from ABC news: http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Health/story?id=5843396&page=1

[victoriajaye]

sweet!

[Ecstatic]

In a follow-up to this story, Nedra Pickler reported in the AP yesterday that Diane Schorer has been awarded nearly $500,000 in back pay and damages. Here's the full story:

Transsexual wins $500,000 lawsuit

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has awarded a former Army Special Forces commander nearly $500,000 because she was rejected from a job at the Library of Congress while undergoing a gender change from man to woman.

Diane Schroer of Alexandria, Va., applied for the terrorism analyst job while still a man named David Schroer. He was offered the job, but the offer was pulled after he told a library official that he was having surgery to change his gender.

U.S. District Judge James Robinson ruled Tuesday that Schroer was entitled to $491,190 in back pay and damages because of sex discrimination.

Schroer said she was happy with the judgment but more importantly that the judge recognized her treatment as job discrimination. She said it's a problem many transgendered people face.

"They are hugely underemployed, at best," Schroer said. "If they are fortunate enough to get something, it's well below their capabilities. It's not just about money, it's about knowing you are a valuable person."

Schroer said she feels more fortunate than many transsexuals who face job discrimination because her friends have helped her get work as a national security and counterterrorism consultant.

The Library of Congress and the Justice Department argued unsuccessfully that discrimination because of transsexuality was not illegal sex discrimination under the Civil Rights Act. A Justice Department spokesman said the department had not yet determined whether to appeal.

The American Civil Liberties Union had argued the case on Schroer's behalf. Paul Cates with the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project said the ruling was significant because a federal judge said that discriminating against someone for changing genders is sex discrimination under federal law.

Schroer is a former U.S. Army colonel who directed a classified group that tracked and targeted terrorists. Schroer retired in 2004 and worked briefly in the private sector before applying for the Congressional Research Service job at the Library of Congress.

After being offered the job, Schroer had lunch with a Library of Congress official and explained the upcoming surgery. Schroer testified the official called the next day and said the position would not be a "good fit."

(http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jGOouEK6e72WBZQymuJ__brLze3AD97SA0C00)

[D.Teeme]

Imagine how hot the boys would be if someone was teaching them about safe lesbian sex.

[Cleapewaild]

Yes they should. No one teaches about safe gay sex. Then they generalise that gay people got aids. I wonder why Teach about gay sex aswell.

[Cleapewaild]

a If youve had sex with someone in front of friends, or strangers. This applies to whether someone was asleep in the same room, having sex in the same room as another couple, sex at a party, threesomes, orgys, etc.