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Woman Claims She Was Asked to Leave Bar for Being Transgender

Woman Claims She Was Asked to Leave Bar for Being Transgender

The gay and lesbian and transgender community are often misunderstood, and in many instances mistreated, for their sexual or gender orientation. People come from all walks of life and go through many different experiences. No two people are alike, which means everyone has a lot of differences. No matter who you are and what you choose to be, every group and individual deserves the same respect and dignity as everyone else. Unfortunately, gays and lesbians and transgender individuals still have to deal with harassment and discrimination from time to time, even in some of the simplest settings.

A transgender woman from Tempe, Arizona has filed an official complaint with her city’s Diversity office after she was apparently asked to leave a bar recently, simply because she is transgender. The 55-year-old woman claims that because she is transgender a bartender discriminated against her while she was there to watch a horse race on television and purchase a drink. The city of Tempe approved an anti-discrimination ordinance last year and this is the first reported complaint to be filed since that ordinance went into affect. According to the ordinance, it is illegal to discriminate against anyone based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender, among other characteristics.

According to the report, the tavern will have to file a response within 20 days of receiving the complaint. The Diversity office will review the complaint and if it determines that the bar did indeed discriminate against this woman then the bar could face a fine of up to as much as $2,500 for the infraction. The bar owner did hold a press conference and apologized to the woman, however, it appeared at the time of this report that she still intended to go ahead with her complaint. The woman’s attorney noted that they have also filed the complaint with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and with the U.S. Department of Justice.

At the law office of Mitchell A. Kline, in Chicago we represent women and men just like this woman in Arizona. No one deserves to be treated as less of a human being simply because of his or her gender identity. If you need a Chicago discrimination attorney, then please contact our office today. We stand up for victims of all kinds of discrimination, including gender identity. Don’t accept discrimination. Contact us for help by calling 312-558-1454, or click here to contact us online.

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