school.
Itâs become the slogan of the anti-homophobic-bullying movement, but IT GETS BETTER.
DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE
âAbout a year in [to my MTF transition], six months after I started presenting as myself full-time, my employer, which had seemed understanding at first, took steps towards showing me the door. I wound up saving them the legal hassle and just quitting, because it was getting unbearable. There is essentially no protection, and you are definitely going to change jobs at some point, either because they fire you or because they make things very unpleasant until you leave voluntarily. As an example of unpleasantness, itâs also fairly common (as happened to me) that theyâll ask you to limit your bathroom usage to a single-occupancy facility if they have one; in my case, the only one available was an elevator ride away and badly ventilated, so it smelled horrible, unlike the normal facilities in that building. I also know several trans women who are required by their employers to use the menâs room.â
Irene, 33, New Jersey, USA
But what if life doesnât improve once you head into the working world? As discussed, there are small-minded people everywhere, Iâm afraid â in your office, your hospital, your police station, anywhere you can imagine. But more good news! Once again the law is on your side: being LGBT* is a âprotected characteristicâ (which I like because it makes us sound like a beautiful rare butterfly on the verge of extinction in Java or something). It means, legally, that you cannot be discriminated against when applying for a job, in education, when buying or renting property, or when accessing public services (e.g. doctors or dentists).
Once you have a job, you cannot be dismissed because youâre LGBT*; get less pay than a straight, cisgender colleague; be held back for promotion; or be made redundant (because youâre LGBT*). If youâre just plain crap at your job, then youâre on your own, obviously.
If you think you have been discriminated against in the workplace, you can speak to your human resources department (if you have one) or get mediation from an outside agency such as ACAS (see the âHelpful websites and numbers and stuffâ section for contact details). You can also go to your local Citizens Advice Bureau. These sorts of disputes are often settled in court.
No laughing matter
Earlier, I said that it wasnât all Kylie and canapés, and I wasnât kidding. Homophobia kills. The following statistics are REAL and are why we all have to stand up against hate.
One in six LGB people in the UK has experienced a hate crime or incident in the past three years.
Young LGB people who are bullied are at a higher risk of suicide, self-harm and depression. Forty-one per cent have attempted or thought about taking their own life directly because of bullying, and the same number say that they deliberately self-harm directly because of bullying.
Forty-nine per cent of lesbian and bisexual girls report symptoms consistent with depression, compared with twenty-nine per cent of gay and bisexual boys.
One in seven gay and bisexual men (thirteen per cent) report moderate to severe depression, compared with seven per cent for the general population.
Seventy-nine per cent of lesbian and bisexual women report a spell of sadness, misery or depression within the past year.
Within the past year, one in fourteen gay or bi men has harmed himself on purpose. This rises to one in five for gay or bi women.
Young LGBT people are 190 per cent more likely to misuse drugs and alcohol compared to straight youths. (University of Pittsburgh 2008)
Except where stated, all statistics courtesy of âStonewall â School Report 2012â, âGay and Bisexual Menâs Mental Health Survey 2011â, âHomophobic Hate Crime: The Gay British Crime Survey 2013â.
BOOM!
That was a maudlin bomb detonating in your face.
Itâs become the slogan of the anti-homophobic-bullying movement, but IT GETS BETTER.
DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE
âAbout a year in [to my MTF transition], six months after I started presenting as myself full-time, my employer, which had seemed understanding at first, took steps towards showing me the door. I wound up saving them the legal hassle and just quitting, because it was getting unbearable. There is essentially no protection, and you are definitely going to change jobs at some point, either because they fire you or because they make things very unpleasant until you leave voluntarily. As an example of unpleasantness, itâs also fairly common (as happened to me) that theyâll ask you to limit your bathroom usage to a single-occupancy facility if they have one; in my case, the only one available was an elevator ride away and badly ventilated, so it smelled horrible, unlike the normal facilities in that building. I also know several trans women who are required by their employers to use the menâs room.â
Irene, 33, New Jersey, USA
But what if life doesnât improve once you head into the working world? As discussed, there are small-minded people everywhere, Iâm afraid â in your office, your hospital, your police station, anywhere you can imagine. But more good news! Once again the law is on your side: being LGBT* is a âprotected characteristicâ (which I like because it makes us sound like a beautiful rare butterfly on the verge of extinction in Java or something). It means, legally, that you cannot be discriminated against when applying for a job, in education, when buying or renting property, or when accessing public services (e.g. doctors or dentists).
Once you have a job, you cannot be dismissed because youâre LGBT*; get less pay than a straight, cisgender colleague; be held back for promotion; or be made redundant (because youâre LGBT*). If youâre just plain crap at your job, then youâre on your own, obviously.
If you think you have been discriminated against in the workplace, you can speak to your human resources department (if you have one) or get mediation from an outside agency such as ACAS (see the âHelpful websites and numbers and stuffâ section for contact details). You can also go to your local Citizens Advice Bureau. These sorts of disputes are often settled in court.
No laughing matter
Earlier, I said that it wasnât all Kylie and canapés, and I wasnât kidding. Homophobia kills. The following statistics are REAL and are why we all have to stand up against hate.
One in six LGB people in the UK has experienced a hate crime or incident in the past three years.
Young LGB people who are bullied are at a higher risk of suicide, self-harm and depression. Forty-one per cent have attempted or thought about taking their own life directly because of bullying, and the same number say that they deliberately self-harm directly because of bullying.
Forty-nine per cent of lesbian and bisexual girls report symptoms consistent with depression, compared with twenty-nine per cent of gay and bisexual boys.
One in seven gay and bisexual men (thirteen per cent) report moderate to severe depression, compared with seven per cent for the general population.
Seventy-nine per cent of lesbian and bisexual women report a spell of sadness, misery or depression within the past year.
Within the past year, one in fourteen gay or bi men has harmed himself on purpose. This rises to one in five for gay or bi women.
Young LGBT people are 190 per cent more likely to misuse drugs and alcohol compared to straight youths. (University of Pittsburgh 2008)
Except where stated, all statistics courtesy of âStonewall â School Report 2012â, âGay and Bisexual Menâs Mental Health Survey 2011â, âHomophobic Hate Crime: The Gay British Crime Survey 2013â.
BOOM!
That was a maudlin bomb detonating in your face.
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