{"id":1568,"date":"2019-11-04T03:42:05","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T03:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesrianilaw.com\/what-is-gender-identity-discrimination\/"},"modified":"2024-01-17T17:31:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T17:31:26","slug":"what-is-gender-identity-discrimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesrianilaw.com\/blog\/what-is-gender-identity-discrimination\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Gender Identity Discrimination?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acceptance and recognition for members of the LGBTQ+ community have grown in previous years. But some people can still end up experiencing discrimination, which could have a huge impact on their mental well-being. Compared to straight people, nearly twice as many people who aren\u2019t straight get discriminated against for their gender identity. And in most cases, this happens in the workplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, no law prohibits gender identity discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), however, has interpreted the federal law\u2019s prohibition against sex discrimination to include discrimination against gender identity. Moreover, over 20 states, including California outlaw discrimination because of gender identity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defining Gender Identity<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s easy to confuse sex, gender, and gender identity. But they\u2019re three different things:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"imptoo\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sex is a label (either male or female) assigned by a doctor at birth based on a person\u2019s genitals and chromosomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gender, on the other hand, is a social status and a set of expectations from society about their behavior, characteristics, and thoughts. Rather than being about body parts, gender is about how a person should act because of their sex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gender identity is how a person feels inside and how they express their gender through their clothes, behavior, and personal appearance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Does Gender Discrimination Happen?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Members of the LGBTQ+ community experience discrimination because of factors such as heteronormativity. Heteronormativity is the expectation that being straight is \u201cnormal\u201d and that people should always be straight and have opposite-sex relationships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People with heteronormative attitudes and beliefs see the LGBTQ+ community as less important, leading to limited opportunities and discrimination of their rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is Gender Identity Discrimination Illegal?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, 20 states prohibit gender identity discrimination by private employers. California gender identity discrimination laws, in particular, protect LGBTQ+ employees from this type of discrimination. Moreover, some city and local governments also ban discrimination based on gender identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spotting the Signs<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discrimination towards LGBTQ+ people can be obvious or subtle. Both types can make anyone feel hurt, unwanted, or unimportant. Some red flags include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"imptoo\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making assumptions about a person\u2019s gender identity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using offensive terms like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fag<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dyke<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tranny<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the like<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Firing an employee because they made a gender transition<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Verbal or physical abuse about a person\u2019s gender identity or body<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Refusing to offer someone a job or promotion because they identify as LGBTQ+<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Denying employee access to a restroom corresponding to their gender identity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOuting\u201d someone be telling other people about their gender identity without their permission<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EEOC considers discrimination against an employee because he or she is transgender a form of illegal sex discrimination as stated in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. As a result, members of the LGBTQ+ community are protected against employment bias.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gender Identity Discrimination at Work<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone who is currently transitioning their gender, or are facing questions regarding their gender can fall victim to gender identity discrimination in the workplace. Since California has laws in place that safeguard employees, they can stay safe from the following types of discrimination:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harassment<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some transgender employees are more prone to be the subject of jokes, unkind comments, and threats related to their gender identity. This unwanted behavior counts as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesrianilaw.com\/blog\/examples-of-sexual-harassment-scenarios.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">harassment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and should be reported immediately.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dress and Grooming Codes<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employers should respect the dress and appearance rules that apply to the gender they identify with. As a result, no company can require an employee to wear a men\u2019s uniform if the worker has informed that they identify as female, for instance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restroom Facilities<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Refusing to allow an employee to use a restroom that doesn\u2019t conform to their gender identity is discriminatory. Workers should be allowed to use a restroom that conforms to their gender identity. Some offices may even designate a unisex restroom to help employees feel more comfortable about using the toilet.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pronoun and Gender Misuse<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some co-workers or managers may deliberately use the wrong pronouns for their transgender employees. While slipping into the wrong pronouns can be a genuine mistake, some may do it on purpose. And constant misuse of gendered terms could connote hostility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paperwork Problems<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transitioning from one gender to another may require amending legal identification documents to reflect changes in name and gender. Some states allow people to change their name by \u201ccommon law,\u201d but others might want to formally change their name in court. Updating paperwork isn\u2019t always a hassle-free process, however.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consult an Experienced Gender Discrimination Lawyer\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you feel like you are being discriminated against because of your gender identity, seek legal advice from an experienced gender discrimination lawyer. At Mesriani Law Group, our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesrianilaw.com\/employment-labor\/sex-gender-discrimination.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gender discrimination lawyers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are well-versed in laws that prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. We can help you identify your legal rights, strengthen your claims, decide what strategy you should take moving forward. Get in touch with us to schedule a FREE consultation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Acceptance and recognition for members of the LGBTQ+ community have grown in previous years. But some people can still end up experiencing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1863,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employment-law","category-gender-discrimination"],"acf":[],"contentshake_article_id":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.4 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is Gender Identity Discrimination in California? 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He specializes in personal injury and employment law while also being an accomplished litigator and trial attorney. Rodney is an aggressive negotiator and a well-known and respected attorney in the areas of practice he specializes in. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University Northridge before attending Southwestern School of Law where he received his Juris Doctorate. 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