Petition for more inclusivity when it comes to OKC’s self-identification options

Hello there,

I’ve made a petition regarding the self-identification choices one faces on OKCupid. Here’s a bit of text from the petition:

I have, through this ingenious and intuitive website, certainly opened up my horizons in terms of the diversity of people whose company I’ve enjoyed. I have met more trans folk, genderqueer, and non-binary individuals than I would have any other way. I am a polyamorous person, and have been for many years. OKC has proven to me it has a thriving community that runs the gamut of non-traditional relationship styles, genders, and sexes.

As fun and useful as this site is, I’ve found myself butting up against the meager means we have of expressing some of the most profound aspects of our lives. Currently, the options are as follows:
Gender: Male/Female
Orientation: Gay/Straight/Bi
Status: Single/Seeing Someone/Married

Now, these terms are just enough for the vast majority of people. But regardless the relative size of the subset for whom these don’t apply, they are not only useful for what is likely a significant swath of OKC’s users, but also might spur on some reflection in those who have, through a restrictive social hegemony, never considered that there were even other options. The use of a full socially conscious vocabulary can raise the awareness of each of these different arenas. It can create more of a safe space for intersex and trans individuals.

Thanks for taking the time to check this out! It may seem menial in the face of issues facing the queer/trans communities, but erasure is still a microaggression amongst many others that we deal with on a regular basis.

-Anatasia

Posted by Tazer 31 July 14 Permalink

I was fired from my job today for being transgender.

Hey fellas. Usually when I post here I’m in a relatively good mood, but today was rough.

It was the 2nd day of a new job, I informed management in beginning of Day 1 of my preferred name and pronouns and that I’m trans. It went really well and my supervisor was quite supportive.

Apparently my supervisor and coworkers were fine with it, but the HR representative, who I never even got to meet, was not.

They first had the person from my staffing agency contact me (instead of speaking to me personally) requesting that I not use the correct bathroom, because I might make people uncomfortable. When I asked him to please find out if there was a unisex bathroom in the building I could use (as I did not want to go to HR/my supervisor myself and make it a big deal) they informed him (and thus he informed me) that there is no unisex bathroom available and that I was no longer a good fit for the company.

When I contested that there was no issue, I would suck it up and use the wrong bathroom, they changed their tune to say that they didn’t interview “Aaron”, they interviewed “(legal name)”, and that I was “obviously” not the person I claimed to be.

What really disgusts me is that at 5:00pm, before I left, my supervisor was telling me how great I was doing, that I seemed like a really great fit and did so well with training, set me up my own desk and computer and told me when I came in tomorrow, I’d be on my own. At 5:40pm it was confirmed that they were not willing to work anything out, my “situation” made me an ill fit for the company, and they had already lined up someone else for my job.

It makes no difference that my skills, experience, and qualifications were the same, regardless of preferred name/pronouns. If I had requested to be called by a preferred traditionally feminine name, like say, a shortened version of my legal name or my middle name, I would still have my job.

There are no laws in the state of florida (or most other states) to protect transgender people from being terminated based on gender identity or expression. It was perfectly legal for them to fire me based solely on my trans* status.

For more information, please read the wikipedia article on the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and get involved in helping to fight for its passing.

You can also sign this petition to tell local lawmakers to support ENDA.

If you’d like to help me personally, I have a merch shop on my page where I’ve been selling trans* pride stuff to help raise money for my transition, but those funds will now have to go to my family’s living expenses. Check it out and spread the word.

Mostly I just want it to be known that this happens, all the time, to real people with names and feelings and families who must suffer. Our rights movement is not an abstract idea, it affects the lives of human beings every day.

Posted by Aaron in Transit 30 July 48 Permalink

A speech at slutwalk by a trans* man

Hi there… I thought your blog would be interested in this speech. I’ve posted it on my blog with the permission of the trans* man who gave the speech. I’d really like to see it reblogged and spread around as I feel his words should be heard by many. Thank you!

Link: http://clownyprincess.tumblr.com/post/6350782201/slutwalk-a-testimony-by-a-transgender-man

Posted by Harley Quinn Aid! 14 June 10 Permalink