Discrimination Archive

Judge This: Is Asking a He to Dress like a He Discriminatory?

May 26th, 2010. By AbiK

Transgender issues are getting a lot of press lately—no longer a topic limited to discussion while you’re watching Gays in the Millinery march by during the annual Greenwich Village Halloween parade.

We last posted on transgender issues at American Eagle Outfitters.

Today, it’s down at the VFW in Virginia Beach, VA.

Larry Bush (on the way to becoming Laura Bush—and I trust not a nod of flattery to the Laura Bush we’re more familiar with ) is a husband and father of four who’s decided to live according to how he’s truly felt for much–if not all–—his 44 years. He wants to live as a woman.

Problem is, after serving 24 years—yes, 24—in the Navy—as a man (and dressed as a man), he’s now being asked by his VFW Post to come to functions dressed as a man—even though he now dresses as a woman.

The dress requirement is apparently only in effect until Larry officially becomes Laura—which, according to WVEC.com (which is where the vid above is from) —is in progress. The paperwork to officially change his name to Laura Rae Bush is in the works, and Larry is to start hormone treatments in June, in anticipation of a complete gender change.

So the question is…until the change, is it discrimination?

Tags: Larry Bush, Laura Rae Bush, Transgender, VFW
Posted in Discrimination | No Comments »

Medical Marijuana Catch-22: You’re Fired

March 24th, 2010. By AbiK

How in hell do the fourteen states where it’s legal—yes, LEGAL—to use marijuana for medical reasons have such a progressive law that, on the flip side, opens the door for employers to fire medical marijuana card-carrying employees who test positive for marijuana use?

According to a cnn.com article, Keith Stroup, who’s on the legal counsel team for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, says he gets around “300 emails and phone calls a year from medical marijuana who have been fired or had job offers rescinded because of a failed drug test.” 

Stroup goes on to say, “Usually they talk about how they have lost their job and I tell them there’s not a thing they can do about it.”

True, in most at-will employment states an employee can be fired for any reason—except for those reasons that put the employee in a federally protected class—such as race, gender, and religion.

But medical marijuana-use employees are not a federally protected class. So employers pretty much Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Discrimination, Employment, Labor Law, Marijuana, Medical Marijuana
Posted in Discrimination, Drugs/Medical, Emerging Issues, Employment | 8 Comments »