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“We Do Not Hire Faggots,” McDonald’s Tells Transgender Florida Teen

Complaint filed against franchise by Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund

NEW YORK, December 7, 2009  –  A complaint has been filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations against a McDonald’s ‘restaurant’ in Orlando by the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund for refusing to hire 17-year-old Zikerria Bellamy because she is transgender.

On July 10, 2009, Ms. Bellamy applied online for a job at a McDonald’s restaurant in Orlando.  On July 28, after managers at McDonald’s learned that Zikerria is transgender, she received a voicemail message from one of the managers telling her: “You will not get hired.  We do not hire faggots.”

Ms. Bellamy was never allowed to interview for a job.

“I just wanted to earn to some money and was willing to work hard at this job,” Ms. Bellamy said this morning.

“In the current economy, jobs are really hard to find.  I never expected to be judged on who I am, instead of being judged on whether I can do the job,” she added.

TLDEF executive director and attorney Michael Silverman pointed out that Ms. Bellamy should not have been denied a job just because she is transgender.

“Like everyone else, she deserved to be judged on her ability to do the job and not on who she is,” he added.

Transgender people face tremendous discrimination in the workplace in the USA.  47% of transgender people report being fired, or denied a job or promotion, just because of who they are.

Few protections exist in America for transgender people who experience employment discrimination.  In 38 states, there is no law protecting people from being fired because they are transgender.  Federal law similarly offers no job protection for transgender people.

In Florida, while no law explicitly addresses discrimination based on gender identity, administrative agencies in the state have ruled that transgender people are protected by the Florida Civil Rights Act’s prohibitions on sex and disability discrimination.

The Competitive Workforce Bill, which would add gender identity and sexual orientation to the Florida Civil Rights Act, was introduced in the Florida legislature on November 20.

At the federal level, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) (S.1584) would address discrimination in the workplace by making it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote an employee based on the person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

“Transgender Americans should have the chance to earn a living and provide for their families without being refused a job or fired for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability to do the job,” added Mr. Silverman.

This morning, McDonald’s corporate head office in the USA was invited on the telephone by UK Gay News to comment.  See HERE for company reaction, which was received overnight and posted on December 8.

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