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December 20, 2006

Transgender woman alleges discrimination by department store

A transgender woman has filed a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights after she was denied access to a dressing room to try on clothes in a department store, WCBS TV reported on Monday. Jane Galla told the station that Loehmann's employees turned her away when she wanted to try on tops for the summer in the department store's communal dressing room, a mix of open and private spaces.

According to WCBS, the city's laws protect transgender people, allowing them access to facilities such as bathrooms and changing rooms that are consistent with their gender identity.

Galla, who has been living as a woman for more than three years, said that she can no longer use men's rooms. She told the station that this was the second incident in which she was allegedly discriminated against by the downtown location of that department store.

The last time, she said, "I was in the area where you fix your makeup and whatnot, and we were discussing fashions, and someone from the staff from Loehmann's [said I] shouldn't use the ladies' room." (The Advocate)

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