With the passing of time, comes the progress of different human rights. While the battles against racial and sexual discrimination, for example, are not over, a fight that is currently the center of conversation is the fight regarding gender identity and bathroom use.
Gender identity issues are not just some fad cause brought to the surface by celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner. People all over the country, including here in New York, identify themselves as transgender. It is a personal issue that also creates questions on a professional level.
A hot topic related to transgender matters is bathroom rights. Basically, this is the question: do transgender men and women have the right to use the bathroom that matches the gender with which they identify, or do they use the bathroom that matches the gender with which they were born?
Currently, this matter is not federally regulated, or at least the public debates how the nation’s anti-discrimination laws apply to the specific matter. President Obama ignited a state-to-state debate when he recently announced that all public schools should allow people to choose which bathroom they want to use.
New York City is taking a strong stance on the transgender, bathroom rights matter. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio supports a new ad campaign that encourages people to use the bathroom based on “who you are.” He reminds New Yorkers that it is against the law to discriminate against people because of gender identity. That has been the case for more than a decade.
How does this law more specifically come into play within the workplace? The upcoming post will delve into that employee rights matter more closely. Check back soon and learn more.