Tag Archives: workplace discrimination

Australia: Lesbian forced out of army will address Royal Commission

Decorated army veteran Yvonne Sillett will appear at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide on Monday. Yvonne was driven out of the Australian Army over her sexuality three years before the government changed policy and allowed gays and lesbians to serve.

Yvonne says on the Discharged LGBTI Veterans’ Association website (DLVA) that she joined the Army at 18. After then qualifying as a cipher operator, she obtained the Top-Secret clearance necessary for the job.

But a decade later, the army’s then discriminatory policies caught up with her.

“In 1988, I was caught up in a ‘witch-hunt’ at Watsonia Barrack for being gay.”

The Army consequently notified Yvonne Sillett that it would reduce her security clearance to Confidential. She could no longer serve in the Signal Corps.

“The prospect of future promotion was next to zero and I would never be able to train female recruits again. I elected for honourable discharge after serving for 10 years!”

If Yvonne had served another decade, she would have received a pension for life. Because of her sexuality, that never happened.

Continue reading: https://qnews.com.au/lesbian-forced-out-of-army-will-address-royal-commission/ (source)

USA: Boise 7 fired for lesbianism in police force in 1977 – telling their story

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

BOISE, Idaho — An all-female production crew is working on a documentary telling the story of ‘The Boise 7’.

In 1977, seven women — Mary Morris, Janine Townsend, Lavonne Woody, Vardell Laursen, Judith Baker, Theresa Silva, and Sue Krohn — were fired from the Boise Police Department for “suspected lesbianism.” The firing followed an internal investigation where the seven were wiretapped on a telephone used for personal conversations. The wiretap was later ruled illegal by a judge.

Mary Morris was Boise’s first female patrol officer.

Sue Krohn said her supervisor at the time called her into his office where he played a recording of a phone call between Krohn and another woman. The call was recorded on a phone designated for personal calls.

“I said, ‘What is this all about?’, and he said some of the women had been inappropriate, I think is the word he used at that time with me, at work so we’ve let them go, and I don’t think you’re a part of it, I don’t think you’re a lesbian, but you lived in the house with all these women and plus that phone call — you need to make a decision. Either you can quit, or we’ll terminate you.”

The story quickly garnered national attention. The women had to not only deal with being fired but also being publicly forced out of the closet.

“I couldn’t tell my parents, but I had to. I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to tell them I was gay, that I was fired, and then my dad disowned me. He wouldn’t talk to me. It was too much. I couldn’t deal with that,” said Janine Townsend.

Continue reading at: https://www.kivitv.com/news/the-boise-7-were-fired-from-boise-police-for-suspected-lesbianism-now-an-all-female-team-is-sharing-their-story (Source)

US: Lesbian corrections officer forced to resign after co-worker outed her: lawsuit

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

A Michigan corrections officer was forced to resign after a fellow prison guard outed her as a lesbian in front of male prisoners — prompting “valid” fears of her being sexually assaulted, a lawsuit claims.

Bridget Cadena, who joined the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2014, claims she was forced to resign three years after the guard outed her while talking to a kitchen worker in front of male inmates at Parnall Correctional Facility in Jackson, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday.

The same corrections officer also referred to Cadena using a gay slur, leading to sexually threatening remarks from prisoners who were nearby, according to her lawsuit.

The case was scheduled to go to trial in Jackson County in January, but got adjourned due to the pandemic.

However, Cadena’s claims may soon be heard by a jury as trials start to resume throughout Michigan, the Free Press reported.
Cadena’s lawsuit alleges sex discrimination under Michigan’s civil rights law. “These comments … undermined plaintiff’s ability to perform her duties and maintain discipline and respect with the inmates,” the filing claims.

The remarks also led to Cadena having “valid increased fear of being raped” or sexually assaulted by an inmate, according to the lawsuit, which named the guard’s former employer as the lone defendant.

Continue reading at: https://nypost.com/2021/06/24/lesbian-corrections-officer-outed-by-coworker-led-to-rape-fear-suit/ (Source)

US: Lesbian assistant chief files lawsuit against SFFD

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

A lesbian San Francisco Fire Department assistant chief who alleged discrimination against the department in a claim two months ago is now taking the city to court.

As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Assistant Chief Nicol Juratovac filed a claim of whistleblower retaliation and discrimination against the San Francisco Fire Department and the city’s Department of Human Resources on March 5.

The claim was denied by the city April 8 and Juratovac filed her civil lawsuit May 24.

Juratovac claims she wanted to change the culture at the SFFD. Instead, she was retaliated against after exposing cheating on promotion exams, safety violations, and racism in the department, according to the complaint — as well as for blowing the whistle on what her attorney, Mark P. Fickes, of Cannata O’Toole Fickes and Olson, described as a “drunken” party at a fire station in Noe Valley in 2017.

“Rather than welcome the opportunity to address its problems, the department has allowed those who feel threatened by Assistant Chief Juratovac to retaliate against her for taking on the ‘good old boys’ mentality,” the complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, states. “Beginning in 2014, and continuing through the present date, the department has weaponized its disciplinary process to punish Assistant Chief Juratovac by subjecting her to numerous unfounded and meritless disciplinary investigations.

“All of these investigations, save one, were rescinded or abandoned, but only after Assistant Chief Juratovac had already endured the emotional distress and humiliation of being investigated in addition to incurring substantial attorneys’ fees to defend herself against frivolous claims,” the complaint states. “She has also been denied promotional and overtime opportunities in retaliation for her whistleblowing activities, as well as her race, gender, and sexual orientation.”

Fickes, a gay man, said that the one time Juratovac faced discipline she faced disproportionate punishment.

Continue reading at: https://www.ebar.com/news/news//305437 (Source)

Update: police sentenced for harassment of lesbian policewoman

On Tuesday, former police officer Sonia Vivas received good news – confirmation that the Supreme Court had sentenced two police officers responsible for the ongoing harassment she suffered for twelve years in the local police in Palma de Mallorca for being a lesbian. They had also seriously tried to harm her reputation and career, alleging that Vivas had tried to attack a detainee, for which she could have been jailed despite her innocence.

The Supreme Court confirmed the prison sentences of three years and five months for Rafael Puigrós  for the crimes of coercion, false report and false testimony; and 15 months for  Alberto Juan Llanerasfor the crime of coercion. It has been proven that Puigrós devised a serious false complaint, accusing Sonia Vivas of mistreating a detainee. This occurred after she spoke on a radio program about the harassment she had suffered for being lesbian.
(Translated)

Former police officer Sonia Vivas received good news on Tuesday: the confirmation by the Supreme Court of the convictions of the two policemen responsible for the harassment she suffered for twelve years in the Local Police of Palma de Mallorca for being a lesbian. They also seriously tried to harm her, inventing that Vivas had tried to attack a detainee; a fact for which he could have ended up in jail innocent.

The Supreme Court confirms the prison sentences of three years and five months for Rafael Puigrós for the crimes of coercion, false report and false testimony; and 15 months for Alberto Juan Llaneras for a crime of coercion. It has been proven that Puigrós devised a false complaint that put Sonia Vivas in serious trouble, accusing her of mistreating a detainee. It was after she recounted on a radio program the harassment she suffered for being a lesbian.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.publico.es/politica/infierno-relato-sonia-vivas-juicio-policias-insultos-ataques-vivienda-colectivo-trans.html (Source)

Original article:  January 2019: Mallorca, Spain: lesbian speaks out against harassment and violence from police colleagues

Interview: https://www.publico.es/publico-tv/publico-al-dia/programa/934637/la-republica-feminista-de-sonia-vivas-2-0-la-lesbofobia

Italy: school fined for sacking lesbian teacher

The Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence against the Sacred Heart of Trento for the dismissal of a lesbian teacher due to the “confirmed discriminationy on the basis of sexual orientation, individual and collective, and the conduct implemented by the Institute regarding the recruitment of teachers”.

The sum is almost double what the private school had been required to pay to the women in the first instance: a total of €43,000, including both financial and moral harm. The Institute has now been called upon to pay the CGIL and the association Certi Rights, which had stood up in its defense, a sum of €10,000.

In the first instance, the compensation had been assessed at €25,000 while the association and the union would have been entitled to €1,500 each.
(Translated)

La Corte di Appello conferma la sentenza contro il Sacro Cuore di Trento a causa della “accertata natura discriminatoria per orientamento sessuale, individuale e collettiva e la condotta attuata dall’Istituto in ordine alla selezione per l’assunzione degli insegnanti” per il licenziamento di una docente lesbica.

Una somma quasi raddoppiata rispetto a quella che la scuola privata era stata destinata a pagare in primo grado alla donna: in tutto 43mila euro tra danno patrimoniale e morale. L’Istituto è stato chiamato ora a risarcire con una somma di 10mila euro anche la Cgil e l’associazione radicale Certi Diritti, che si erano schierate in sua difesa.

In primo grado il risarcimento era stato quantificato in 25mila euro mentre all’associazione e al sindacato sarebbero spettati 1.500 euro a testa.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.lavocedeltrentino.it/2020/09/02/licenziata-perche-lesbica-listituto-sacro-cuore-paga-piu-di-40mila-euro-alla-prof-discriminata/ (Source)

U.K: Lesbian quits after finding homophobic note in work locker

A shop worker said she was “mortified” when she opened her locker and discovered a homophobic note.

The offensive message was found by Pammie Clinton during her shift at Wilko in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, on 9 September.

It directed a homophobic slur at her and implored her to quit. She handed in her notice a few days later.

Wilko said discrimination of any kind was not accepted and it was looking into the situation “very seriously”.

Ms Clinton, who is a lesbian, said the message had been pushed into her locker through a small hole.”I was absolutely disgusted with what I was reading – I felt like my heart had sunk to the pit of my stomach,” she said.

“I went straight to the bathroom and sat and cried.

“The incident was reported to management but the culprit was never found – and Ms Clinton said she felt compelled to resign.

She said: “I was filled with anxiety and found myself looking at everyone at work thinking ‘was it you?’, which was mentally and emotionally unhealthy.”

Continue reading: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-54183746 (source)

UK: crowdfunding removed for lesbian lawyer suing Stonewall and law firm

Allison Bailey

My name is Allison Bailey. I am a criminal defence barrister, a feminist, a lesbian, a lifelong campaigner for racial equality, lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights, and a survivor of child sexual abuse.  …

In 2019, I helped to set up the LGB Alliance with other campaigners and activists who felt, like me, that organisations such as Stonewall had seriously lost their way in recent years: they had conflated sex with gender, meaning that same sex attraction – the fundamental basis of lesbian and gay attraction, and therefore the fundamental basis of lesbian and gay rights – was no longer recognised.  The impacts of this have been several and severe, and in order to campaign properly for gay and lesbian rights, we felt that a new organisation was required. …

A person may identify as they identify, and they should be protected and respected for their identity. However, a person’s identity is not a license to cause distress or intimidation to others, and can never legitimately be used to put others to harm. There are necessary exceptions to the acceptance of males in female spaces, and those exceptions are necessary to protect women.

These injustices arise as a result of the misguided insistence that gender has somehow replaced sex as a fundamental aspect of human identity.  It is for that reason that I am gender critical.  This is not to say that gender is not a genuine aspect of identity for some people.  But it is separate and does not (and cannot) replace sex.

The result of Stonewall’s “acceptance without exception” mantra is to put women at risk of harm. …

Perhaps most specifically from my point of view, that Stonewall unilaterally and without any mandate whatsoever, and to further its lobbying ambitions, redefined homosexuality as same-gender and not same-sex attraction was an especially egregious betrayal of LGB people, especially lesbians. The inclusion of male-bodied people into the class of lesbian women means that lesbians are excoriated for bigotry and transphobia simply for being same-sex attracted.  This is base homophobia.

It was because of these injustices – and the role as I and others saw of it of Stonewall in promoting these injustices – that the LGB Alliance was set up, in order to fill the void in LGB campaigning that Stonewall had left when they decided to campaign for “acceptance without exception”.

Continue reading at: https://filia.org.uk/news/2020/6/27/allison-bailey-i-am-suing-stonewall-to-stop-them-policing-free-speech (Source)

US: Catholic Church fires lesbian music director after 3 decades

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

Terry Gonda loves the Catholic church, though it hasn’t always loved her back — at least unconditionally.

After three decades helping run the musical life of her parish, Gonda was fired from her job as music director Wednesday for being married to a woman — a relationship that she says was never a secret. Not with her family, friends, church or pastor.

But in recent weeks, Gonda said, someone within the Detroit Archdiocese caught wind of her marital status and decided that something needed to be done, that her same-sex marriage made her morally unfit to keep her job.

As was explained to her in a June 12 email: “The Archdiocese is choosing to activate its morality clause to terminate your employment.”

The words stung Gonda, who has long stood by the embattled Catholic church despite its strained relationship with the LGBTQ community and its past: The sex abuse scandal involving pedophile priests. The coverups. Homosexuals denied Communion. Lesbians fired from teaching jobs.

Continue reading at: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2020/06/24/detroit-archdiocese-terry-gonda-catholic-church-same-sex-marriage/3247103001/ (Source)

Germany: anti lesbian discrimination dispute with city of Soest ends in contract termination

L2L GermanyOn Monday, Prof. Monika Dobberstein put up a request for an answer on the non-extension of her contract beyond September 2021, but in the evening put a long interview on the Facebook page of the business development agency, in which she made serious allegations against  both the city’s politics and individual staff.

Although she had delivered “outstanding results,” Dobberstein said, she was forced out of her job because, as a woman and self-confessed homosexual, she was apparently not compatible with their political interests and that this “played an important role”. As proof of this, she cites, among other things, that contracts with male managing directors have been extended several times in the past, “although there were good reasons to let them go”. She doesn’t name names.

Update 26 June 2020:

Monika Dobberstein will be released from her duties as Managing Director of Development and Marketing Soest with immediate effect, the city of Soest announced.

Soest – In a letter from the town hall it says: “At its meeting on Thursday, June 25, 2020, the City Council of Soest decided not to extend the contract of Prof. Dr. Monika Dobberstein, which expires in 2021, as Managing Director of Development and Marketing Soest GmbH (WMS). Furthermore, the council decided to release Prof. Dobberstein from her duties with immediate effect.”
(Translated)

Prof. Monika Dobberstein ließ am Montag zwar eine Anzeiger-Anfrage mit der Bitte um eine Stellungnahme zur Nichtverlängerung ihres Vertrages über September 2021 hinaus unbeantwortet, stellte am Abend aber ein langes Interview auf die Facebook-Seite der Wirtschaftsförderung, in dem sie schwere Vorwürfe sowohl gegen die Politik, als auch gegen einzelne ihrer Mitarbeiter erhebt.

Obwohl sie „herausragende Ergebnisse“ abgeliefert habe, so Dobberstein, solle sie den Posten räumen, weil sie als Frau und bekennende Homosexuelle offenbar für die politische Mehrheit nicht tragbar sei. Das habe „eine wichtige Rolle gespielt“. Als Beleg dafür führt sie unter anderem an, dass in der Vergangenheit Verträge mit männlichen Geschäftsführern mehrfach verlängert worden seien, „obwohl es gute Gründe gegeben hätte, sich von ihnen zu trennen“. Namen nennt sie nicht.

Aktualisieren 26 Juni 2020:

Monika Dobberstein wird mit sofortiger Wirkung von ihren Aufgaben als Geschäftsführerin der Wirtschaft und Marketing Soest freigestellt. Das teilt die Stadt Soest jetzt mit.

Soest – In einem Schreiben aus dem Rathaus heißt es: “Der Rat der Stadt Soest hat in seiner Sitzung am Donnerstag, 25. Juni 2020, beschlossen, den im Jahr 2021 auslaufenden Dienstvertrag von Prof. Dr. Monika Dobberstein als Geschäftsführerin der Wirtschaft und Marketing Soest GmbH (WMS) nicht zu verlängern. Darüber hinaus entschied der Rat, Prof. Dobberstein mit sofortiger Wirkung von ihrer Aufgabe freizustellen.”
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.soester-anzeiger.de/lokales/soest/homophobie-vorwuerfe-streit-zwischen-stadt-soest-monika-dobberstein-eskaliert-13807977.html (Original Source 23 June 2020)

Continue reading at: https://www.soester-anzeiger.de/lokales/soest/monika-dobberstein-nach-homophobie-vorwuerfen-soest-sofortiger-wirkung-freigestellt-13812362.html ( Updated Source 26 June 2020)

U.S.: electrician demoted for not ending lesbian affair

Image courtesy of Sarah Ward

Stacy Freyre, 49, was a supervisor earning $127,000 a year when her friendship with a married female cashier at a Universal City Studios restaurant in California became a romance in 2017, Freyre said in court papers.

The cashier, a mom of two, had already separated from her spouse, whom she had accused of domestic violence, according to Freyre’s legal filing.

But when the estranged husband, who also worked at the site, discovered the relationship, he flew into a rage, complained to the company, accosted his ex at work and allegedly threatened to harm Freyre, implying someone could shoot her kids, she charges. Freyre reported the threats to police.

Rather than deal with the threats, Universal City Studios, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, asked Freyre to apologize and make peace with the husband. Freyre was demoted from her supervisor post after she refused to end the relationship, according to an employment discrimination claim she recently filed NBCUniversal in California Federal Court seeking unspecified damages.

Continue reading at: https://nypost.com/2020/06/13/universal-city-studios-worker-allegedly-demoted-for-not-ending-affair/ (Source)

Lesbians in Chile – excerpts from the annual Movilh report

Chile

March 2020 – The annual Movil report showed a 58% increase in allegations and abuses, with the following specific details reported for Chilean lesbians:

  • Abuses reported by lesbians rose 34%
  • 1.54% of the population (221,796 people) are gay or lesbian, 75,000 more people than in 2015.
  • “Rompiendo El Silencio” survey – discrimination has been experienced by the majority of women, such that
    • 75.4% suffered harassment on the street because of their sexual orientation
    • 40.3% of the total who received sexual health advice were forced
    • 68% did not have a pap smear for fear of discrimination.
  • Police abuse and arbitrary detentions rose from one reported case in 2017 to 16 cases, 38% of which involved lesbians.
  • Workplace discrimination allegations fell by  26% compared to the previous year, registering a total of 28 abuses. 36% of the cases affected lesbians.
  • Community discrimination remained unchanged. 47% of which affected lesbians.
    (Translated)
  • Las denuncias o atropellos contra lesbianas subieron un 34%
  • El 1,54% de la población (221.796 personas) se declara gay o lesbiana, lo que equivale a 75 mil personas más que en 2015.
    (Original)
  • La discriminación ha sido vivida por la mayoría de las mujeres, a un punto que el 75.4% sufrió acosos en la calle en razón de su orientación sexual, mientras el 40,3% del total que recibió consejos en salud sexual fue obligada a dar ese paso. Además, en el campo de la salud, el 68% no atreve a practicar un Papanicolaou por temor a sufrir algún tipo de discriminación.
  • Los atropellos policiales contra personas en razón de su orientación sexual o identidad de género, aumentaron de manera explosiva, pasando de un abuso en 2017 a 16 en 2018, un 1.500% más. De los 16 abusos, 15 fueron propinados por Carabineros y uno por la policía civil.
    El 38% de los casos afectó a lesbianasDiscriminación laboral – las denuncias o casos por discriminación laboral bajaron un 26% en relación al año previo, registrándose un total de 28 abusos. El 36% de los casos afectó a lesbianas.
  • Discriminación comunitaria – Los abusos homo/transfóbicos propinados por familiares, conocidos o vecinos de personas LGBTI, mantuvieron la cifra del año precedente. El 47 % de los atropellos afectó a lesbianas.

Full report: http://www.movilh.cl/documentacion/Informe-DDHH-Movilh-2019.pdf

Overall report summary:

2019 was the most violent year for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals and intersex people (LGBTI) in Chile with a 58% increase in cases and allegations of homophobia and transphobia, reaching 1103 abuses, the highest number reported to date, as outlined in the XVIII Annual Human Rights Report on Sexual and Gender Diversity, released today by the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (Movilh) for the first time without a press conference in the wake of the Coronavirus.

“There were more cases, more complaints, and the abuses were more violent and savage, as is made clear by the increases in the most ruthless abuses (murders and beatings). This situation has been noticed since 2018 and is not related to the social outbreak, which only had an impact on an increase in police abuse, “said Movilh spokesman Oscar Rementería.
(Original)

El 2019 fue el año más violento para las personas lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transexuales e intersexuales (LGBTI) en Chile al incrementar un 58% los casos y denuncias por homofobia y transfobia, ascendiendo a 1103 los atropellos, la cifra más alta conocida hasta la fecha, reportó el XVIII Informe Anual de Derechos Humanos de la Diversidad sexual y de Género, dado a conocer hoy por el Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual (Movilh) por primera vez sin conferencia de prensa a raíz del Coronavirus.

“Hubo más casos, más denuncias y los abusos fueron más violentos y salvajes, como queda claro con los aumentos de los atropellos más despiadados (asesinatos y las golpizas). Esta situación ya se venía advirtiendo desde el 2018 y no tiene relación con el estallido social, el cual solo impactó en un incremento de los abusos policiales”, sostuvo el vocero del Movilh, Oscar Rementería.
(Translated)

Continue reading at: https://www.movilh.cl/homofobia-y-transfobia-aumentan-un-58-y-suma-mas-de-mil-casos-la-cifra-mas-alta-en-la-historia-de-chile/ (source)

U.S: Lesbian Who Sued Sheriff After He Fired Her Defeats Him in Dem Primary

charmaine_mcguffy

A lesbian candidate who is suing the sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio, has beaten him in the Democratic primary for the office.

Charmaine McGuffey, a former Hamilton County deputy sheriff, defeated Jim Neil by winning nearly 70 percent of the vote Tuesday, The Enquirer of Cincinnati reports. She will face Bruce Hoffbauer, a Cincinnati police lieutenant who was the only candidate in the Republican primary, in November. Cincinnati is the seat of Hamilton County, the third most populous county in Ohio. McGuffey would be the first Ohio sheriff from the LGBTQ community and one of only a few ever elected in the nation. She was endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund.

McGuffey and Neil have both been with the sheriff’s department since the early 1980s. Neil was elected sheriff in 2012, and the following year he promoted McGuffey to major in command of jail and court services, making her the highest-ranking woman in the department’s history. In 2015, she was named local and regional Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. The following year, the Ohio House of Representatives named her Public Citizen of the Year. During her tenure, the Hamilton County Justice Center went from being the worst-ranked large jail in Ohio to the best.

But Neil fired her in 2017. She says it was because she’s a lesbian and she raised concerns about the use of force by officers. He says it was because she created a hostile work environment. She has sued him in federal court, and the lawsuit is still pending.

Continue reading: https://www.advocate.com/politics
/2020/4/29/lesbian-who-sued-sheriff-after-he-fired-her-defeats-him-dem-primary
(source)

U.S: Lesbian couple sues prison system for workplace discrimination

A lesbian couple who worked in the Michigan prison system for decades is suing the state, claiming prison officials failed to do anything to protect them from years of harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

The couple, the lawsuit claims, faced harassment, discrimination and retaliation daily for not fitting into the standard mold of a state prison employee – being a heterosexual white man.

“[Michelle] (Woods) has, on countless occasions, been referred to as a ‘dyke,’ … has been told that ‘Stanley Steamer has nothing on you,’ and has had a beaver and a taco put as the desktop background on her computer,” according to the lawsuit.

Woods would later be reprimanded for various violations she had no knowledge of committing, the lawsuit claims. She was spied on by a higher ranking officer and was denied consideration for a promotion by officials who said she needed to learn to “play the game,” the lawsuit alleges.

[Loretta] Smith, who also works for MDOC, claims she was demoted to working the midnight shift in retaliation for complaining about the hostile work environment.

Continue reading: https://www.mlive.com/news
/2020/03/lesbian-couple-sues-michigan-prison-system-for-workplace-discrimination.html?fbclid=IwAR2u1ryfB07bYjUm9Ozj0
Go1uv0ec8WigFQLZ4JttKgA8xEMjoOLXRIlq1c
(source)

U.S: Lesbian Teacher Who Was Suspended Reaches $100,000 Settlement

Stacy

In August 2017, Stacy Bailey, an art teacher at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School in Arlington, Texas, introduced herself to her fourth-grade class with a slide show of her childhood, parents, friends and family.

Included in the mix was a photo of her with her partner, Julie Vasquez, who Ms. Bailey explained at the time was her future wife. They were dressed as “Dory” and “Nemo” from the movie “Finding Nemo.”

The presentation touched off a complaint from a parent that Ms. Bailey was “promoting the homosexual agenda.” Ms. Bailey was suspended for eight months from the public school, where she had taught for 10 years and had twice been voted Teacher of the Year.

This week, more than two years later, the Mansfield Independent School District agreed to pay Ms. Bailey $100,000 to settle a federal lawsuit that she had filed accusing the district of discriminating against her because of her sexual orientation.

Continue reading: https://www.nytimes.com/
2020/02/27/us/stacy-bailey-mansfield-teacher.html
(source)

U.K. study – sounding lesbian affects employment

A Leader Doesn't Sound lesbian

New research provides evidence that having a gay- or lesbian-sounding voice can have tangible consequences on a person’s job prospects. The study, published in Psychology of Women Quarterly, indicates that discrimination based on one’s voice may be particularly harmful for women perceived as lesbian.

“Voice is a minimal cue that people use, consciously or unconsciously, to make inferences about others. Stereotypes about voice exist too. I am therefore interested in examining how minimal cues such as voice can affect listeners’ perception and discrimination,” said study author Fabio Fasoli, a lecturer in social psychology at the University of Surrey.

“Gaydar is usually defined as the ability to correctly guess who is gay and who is heterosexual from such minimal clues. As a consequence of gaydar, discrimination can occur when sexual orientation is inferred from a person’s behavior during the hiring process,” the researchers wrote in their study.

The researchers found that gay-sounding men and especially lesbian-sounding women were viewed as less competent than their heterosexual-sounding counterparts, which in turn was associated with them being rated as less suitable for jobs and ranked lower in employability. Contrary to expectations, lesbian-sounding women did not have an advantage when applying to stereotypically masculine job positions.

“A stereotype about ‘gay voice’ exists and affects people’s impression and reactions. Voice can thus lead to subtle forms of discrimination in the hiring process. Although there is not a shared stereotype about the ‘lesbian voice,’ women who sound ‘lesbian’ are at higher risk of discrimination,” Fasoli told PsyPost.

Continue reading at: https://www.psypost.org/2020/02/study-suggests-lesbian-sounding-women-face-greater-gaydar-discrimination-in-hiring-than-men-55454? (Source)

Study: A Leader Doesn’t Sound Lesbian!: The Impact of Sexual Orientation Vocal Cues on Heterosexual Persons’ First Impression and Hiring Decision

U.S.: lesbian files discrimination complaint against Burger King

Ingrid Burger King discrimination

A lesbian who works at a D.C. Burger King says her manager harassed her because of her sexual orientation.

Ingrid, who asked the Washington Blade not to publish her last name, filed a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights last Dec. 23.

The complaint notes Ingrid, 19, began to work at the Burger King on Connecticut Avenue near the University of the District of Columbia on Aug. 24, 2019. Ingrid in her complaint states her manager “found out about my sexual orientation in September of 2019” and “began to harass me by making inappropriate comments about my protected class.”

“In January 2020, despite my numerous complaints to respondent’s upper management, the hostile work environment was not addressed, and instead I continued to be subjected to unwelcome comments about my sexual orientation from my supervisor as well as my coworkers who respondent’s manager told about my complaints,” she wrote. “Instead of addressing the situation, respondent’s district manager … cut my workdays and hours and changed my schedule, affecting my pay.”

Burger King, which is based in Miami, received a 100 percent score in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index.

Burger King’s corporate office has not returned the Blade’s requests for comment. Efforts to reach the Burger King where Ingrid works via telephone were unsuccessful.

Ingrid, who continues to work at the Burger King where she said the harassment has taken place, told the Blade it is her first job. She said she filed her complaint because she doesn’t “want another LGBTQ person or someone who is not out to go through this again.”

“I don’t want someone else to get anxiety or depression because of this,” Ingrid told the Blade.

Continue reading at: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/02/12/lesbian-files-discrimination-complaint-against-dc-burger-king/ (Source)

Australia: Allegations of “lesbian mafia” unfounded

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An independent panel has found there was no bias or agenda behind the controversial sacking of Alen Stajcic as Matildas coach and dispelled the notion that a “lesbian mafia” wanted him out of the job.

“The panel was unable to uncover any evidence supporting the existence of any formal ‘lesbian mafia’ or that the decision to terminate the Matildas head coach contract was driven by personal bias against Mr Stajcic or in pursuit of other agendas,” the report said.

Continue reading: https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/more-sports/no-evidence-of-lesbian-mafia-plot-against-stajcic-report-finds/ar-BBY8vFC?li=AAgfYrC&ocid=iehp (source)

U.S: Lesbian music teacher outed to her bosses and then fired

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On October 2, administrators at Covenant Christian School in Palm Beach, Florida, summoned part-time musical theater teacher Monica Toro Lisciandro to tell her that someone had anonymously called the school accuse her of being in a relationship with a woman, attending a Pride festival, and hosting an LGBTQ group in her private acting studio.

“Well, it’s true,” Lisciandro replied. Soon after, the school fired her even though she had taught there for the last three years and was in the middle of directing the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The school then informed parents via letter that she’d no longer be teaching due to “personal reasons.”

Continue reading: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/
2019/10/musical-theater-teacher-outed-bosses-fired-immediately/
(source)

Chile: Lesbian sues University of Las Americas for lesbophobic harassment and dismissal

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A professional and faculty head filed a lawsuit against the University of Las Americas (UDLA) for harassment and dismissal due to her sexual orientation.

With the sponsorship of the Homosexual Integration and Liberation Movement (Movilh), they detailed that “the affected woman had entered the UDLA to work in 2013 and a year later she assumed a role as faculty head for one of her areas. Her performance was always evaluated positively, until she confided to one of her superiors that she was a lesbian”.

Movilh’s lawyer, Monica Arias, said that “due to rumours among few colleagues regarding her sexual orientation, in March 2018 the professional decided to have a confidential conversation with one of her direct heads”.

In relation to this, Arias added that “in this conversation, the boss assured her total discretion, so the professional acknowledged being a lesbian and asked that it not be disclosed. The next day, the personal life of the woman became the knowledge of a large part of university officials”.

In addition she started experiencing “hostile treatment and harassment” from her boss, which meant for the first time receiving poor performance reviews and being undermined publicly. The lawsuit indicates that, among others, the boss said to the woman that “you are not fit for the position, which is obvious given your condition which we all know”.

The facts were communicated in May 2019 to one of the university deans, who promised to investigate and resolve what happened, but that never happened. On the contrary, the woman ended up being fired weeks later for “business needs” reasons.
(Translated)

Una profesional y directora de carrera presentó en tribunales una demanda contra la Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA) por hostigamiento y despido en razón de su orientación sexual.

Con el patrocinio del Movimiento de Integración y Liberación Homosexual (Movilh), detallaron que “la afectada había ingresado a trabajar a la UDLA en 2013 y un año más tarde asumió como directora de una de sus carreras. Su desempeño siempre tuvo buenas evaluaciones, hasta que le confidenció a una de sus superiores que era lesbiana”.

La abogada del Movilh, Mónica Arias, dijo que “debido a rumores entre pocos colegas referentes a su orientación sexual, en marzo de 2018 la profesional decidió mantener una conversación de carácter confidencial con una de sus jefas directas”.

En ese sentido, Arias agregó que “en dicha conversación, la jefa aseguró total discreción, por lo que la profesional reconoció ser lesbiana y pidió que ello no fuese divulgado. Al día siguiente, la vida personal de la profesional pasó a ser conocimiento de una gran parte de los funcionarios de la universidad”.

A ello se añadió un “trato hostil y de acoso laboral” por parte de su superior, lo que signifco en obtener por primera vez bajas calificaciones por su desempeño y en menoscabos públicos. En la demanda se indica que, entre otros, la jefa señaló a la profesional que “tú no eres apta para el cargo, lo que es obvio dada tu condición que todos sabemos”.

Los hechos fueron comunicados en mayo del 2019 a uno de los decanos, quien se comprometió a investigar y solucionar lo ocurrido. Pero eso jamás ocurrió. Por el contrario, la mujer terminó siendo despedida semanas después por “necesidades de la empresa”.
(Original)

Continue reading at: https://www.eldesconcierto.cl/2019/10/08/directora-de-carrera-demanda-a-universidad-de-las-americas-por-lesbofobia/ (Source)