Jessi Dye Was Fired After Her Boss Asked, "What are you?"

Jessi Dye was pretty thrilled when she got the job at Summerford Nursing Home in Alabama. She filled out all her paperwork, she attended the training workshops required of her, and was vaccinated as per company policy, and most of all, she was excited that Summerford was going to pay for her training to become a certified nurse’s assistant [CNA].

However, when she showed up on the job, Robert Summerford, the manager, called her into his office at lunch to discuss her paperwork, and the minute Jessi walked in, before even having the chance to sit down he asked:

“What are you?”

Jessi was caught off guard, to be sure, but she was used to awkward — though I call them stupid — questions when a new employer noticed the identity on her driver’s license doesn’t match the one she presents in person.

Jessi is a trans woman. And so she answered Summerford’s question by explaining her situation — that she was born male and is transitioning to female — and he asked:

“What am I supposed to do with you?”

Then he fired her on the spot because, well, trans.

So, with the help of the Southern Poverty Law Center [SPLC] Jessi filed a workplace discrimination suit and, rather than see the case taken all the way to federal court, Summerford settled with Jessi. Part of the settlement requires Summerford to institute a new  official policy banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and to conduct sensitivity training seminars regarding LGBTQ people.

This is one of those rare, lucky cases, when a company, and their lawyers, realized that the times are changing and that there need to be new understanding about trans people, or people of any sexual orientation or gender identity, in the workplace.

But what Summerford didn't do, however, was actually break the law. Alabama, and federal law, is still vague on the issue, and with the failure of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act [ENDA] to be passed, there are no clear-cut workplace protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Jessi was also awarded a cash settlement from Summerford but says:

"It was never about money. It was always about the education, letting other trans people know that they have a right, that they are protected under the law."

And so maybe now she can go to school and become a CNA after all, and we can hope that when she does, and when she finds a job, the times have changed enough so that no one will question Jessi’s identity ever again.

And maybe, one day, and one day soon, when Jessi Dye, and others like her, apply for jobs, are accepted to the position, go through training, and show up for work, they won’t be fired immediately because a driver’s licenses identity doesn’t match the face in front of the boss.

And that means we also need to work for our trans brothers and sisters to make sure that they can have their licenses and identification papers changed to their correct gender as they transition so that they can be seen as who they truly are, and not as anything else.

The march goes on …

LGBTQ Nation

I Didn't Say It........

Doug Berger, North Carolina state senator, comparing the proposed same-sex marriage ban amendment to putting a pink triangle on the state constitution:
"In Nazi Germany, some of you may not realize that Adolf Hitler came to power through the ballot box and even though he was elected by the people, he was able to use the instruments of power to take away the rights of individuals….[I]f you were gay, you were required to wear a pink triangle to single that you were a member of that despised group. Now, I believe that if we pass this motion to concur, we are essentially putting a pink triangle into our state constitution."


And we wouldn't want that, would we, North Carolina?
Do you want to be that state?
Do you want to be that kind of people?
Or do you want equality?


Sally Kern, homophobe, bigot, and Oklahoma State Representative, on gays and AIDS being the biggest threat in the world today:

"You know if you just look at it in practical terms, which has destroyed and ended the life of more people? Terrorism attack here in America or HIV/AIDS? In the last twenty years, fifteen to twenty years, we’ve had maybe three terrorist attacks on our soil with a little over 5,000 people regrettably losing their lives. In the same time frame, there have been hundreds of thousands who have died because of having AIDS. So which one’s the biggest threat? And you know, every day our young people, adults too, but especially our young people, are bombarded at school, in movies, in music, on TV, in the mall, in magazines, they’re bombarded with ‘homosexuality is normal and natural.’ It’s something they have to deal with every day. Fortunately we don’t have to deal with a terrorist attack every day, and that’s what I mean."


Oh Sally. STFU.
You've been beating the "gays are the worst thing to happen to the planet since the beginning of time" drum long enough now. It isn't true, and even your most dimwitted followers know that, though they do enjoy the goosestepping along with hate thing.
For now.
And HIV/AIDS isn't the gay plague, Sal. That's so 1980s.
Being gay isn't terrorism, but, you know Sal, you utter moron, spreading hate, and fear and misinformation based on your own narrow-minded, limited, close-minded world view is a form of terrorism.
Intellectual terrorism....or in your case, lack of intellect terrorism. 

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, on how a little sitcom called "Modern Family" may be changing many conservatives views on gay marriage:
"It's shocking isn't it [that gay characters are being embraced]?  But also very encouraging.  I was prepared for these characters to have a bit of a backlash and it's sort of been the exact opposite.  Conservatives come up to us saying, 'You've changed my mind about gay marriage,' or, 'I relate to Cameron and Mitchell and find them very enjoyable and now I'm looking at Bob and Joe down the street and wondering how they're different.'  We have gay couples coming up to us, obviously, and saying, 'Thank you so much for being on TV,' or, 'My daughter has someone to point to and say, ' That family is just like mine."


I am a firm believer in this.
The more we come out, live out, stay out, the less fear and intolerance we'll suffer.
Just think about it, we live openly and honestly, going about our business just like everyone else, and people like asshat Sally Kern,. won't have any fear to spread.
It's a good thing.

David Barton, Christian Dominionist and history revisionist, trying to put the fear of a hate-filled in just about everyone but himself:
"I will tell you where this becomes very significant politically, it Romans 1:27-32, the scripture says not only does God not approve homosexuality, it says He does not approve those who do approve of homosexuality. So I’ve got a ballot, I’ve got a vote, I vote for somebody that approves homosexuality, God doesn’t approve me if I approve those who approve homosexuality. The Bible is so good about helping us know how to vote, because what you said is exactly right. The reason homosexuality will kill the blessing and I’ll tell you why, if I support someone who supports homosexuality, it will kill the blessing on me whether I’m a homosexual or not."


So, this wingnut not only wants The Gays to know that his god disapproves of us, but that his god also disapproves on anyone who votes for equality.
Seriously.
God isn't interested in American politics.
Hell, she isn't even interested in David Barton.

Michele Bachmann, presidential hopeful....tee hee....telling a South Carolina audience that if elected, she will abolish the Department of Education:
"The Constitution does not specifically enumerate nor does it give to the federal government the role and duty to superintend over education. That historically has been held by the parents and by local communities and by state government. To put that into the federal government as we saw a Department of Education in the late 1970s has eviscerated the constitutional understanding that the control of education truly lies with the parents."

Why not?
it's not like education helped her.

"Dr." Keith Ablow, still riding the Chaz Bono On DWTS Is A Danger To America bus: 

"This tour, this 'fame tour' of Chaz Bono, promoting transgenderism as if it's a civil right. There are a lot of kids who will be watching. Look. Kids go through phases. Adolescents. There may be tomboys watching who are girls. They don't really need to be encouraged to say 'hey wait what a second.' Maybe I'm not just a tomboy. Maybe I'm a boy!....This is a guy who has had a terrible run of things. An incredibly tortuous path and it's not over. So I don't like the idea that you'd suggest to adolescents and young people a surgical remedy at the plastic surgeon's office for a psychiatric condition!"

Yes, young girls are so stupid that if they see Chaz Bono on TV they'll wanna become boys.

This reeks of that whole "teaching" homosexuality bull shiz, and it's ignorant.

Someone who calls himself a "doctor" show know better.

John M. Oldham, APA president, responding to the outrageous claims of "Dr." Keith Ablow, about GID being contagious:

"The American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognizes gender identity disorder (GID) as a psychiatric disorder that involves significant distress or impairment in functioning. The APA supports access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment for persons with GID and recognizes that the decision to undergo gender transition is a deeply personal one. The APA opposes all forms of discrimination against persons with GID. There is no evidence that viewing a television game show with a transgender contestant would induce Gender Identity Disorder in young people."

Suh-Nap!

You can't turn someone gay who isn't gay.

You cannot make someone transgender who doesn't have GID.

You can, however, pretend to be a doctor on some right-wing-nut "news" show and spread fear and misinformation for a paycheck.

Kate Winslet, on the idea of having a gay son:
"I like being in the city. I like the diversity that my children are exposed to every day. I love the way their brains work. Joe turns to me the other day and says 'One day I will have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, darling. Which would you prefer?' And I said 'My Love, that would be entirely up to you, and it doesn't make any difference to me.' But that he knows! 
It's a real privilege. Talk about the best education."


That would be one lucky little gay boy to have such understanding and support from the get-go.
The times, they are a'changing.

Paul Rudd, on why he shouldn't be allowed to show his man bits in films:
"I've been naked in a lot of my movies. There's something inherently funny about the naked male body, particularly mine...Ryan Reynolds, sure, it makes sense why he'd strip down. But not me. I shouldn't be allowed to....I'm a big fan of movie nudity. A male ass shot is the cheapest and best laugh ever. But it's mortifying to do. When I showed my butt in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, all I could think was, 'This is going to be up on all those big screens.' I was very self-conscious about doing it. There's a scene in Our Idiot Brother where I'm naked and getting painted from the side, and because of the angle of the shot, our soundman -- who was a guest soundman, by the way, and not even our regular guy -- had an unfortunate view. He was holding up the boom mike and standing right in front of me. My legs were spread, and he was pretty much staring at my hairy taint."


Sounds like a dream job for some folks, but I digress.
I've seen Mr. Rudd nekkid in movies, and think he should keep it, er, up, so to speak.
So should Mr. Reynolds, for what it's worth.