This is an interesting example of how life can get extremely complicated once we open ourselves to reinterpreting what we believe is “normal” and “true” and “real.” And in the modern and rapidly changing information age, things surely do get complex.
Transgendered Complications
128 responses to “Transgendered Complications”
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First, in my mind his firing was motivated by fear, his supervisors fear of the fact that he was transgender. This is clear if all the events are true as stated in the article. Why fire someone who is a man? If someone tells you that they are male (or female) shouldn't that be the end of it? Is it anyone's job to second guess the sex that someone identifies as. As the book states in one article they identify 5 sexes (which, I feel is restrictive in a way), but, I would argue that there is a difference between physical sex, sex you identify as, gender, etc. (Confusing, no?). This all culminates to further muddle the issue presented therein of “what(who) is a man?”.
This issue however according to my somewhat muddled political beliefs is somewhat clear cut– it's none of my business and doesn't hurt me, or anyone else (honestly, how the hell would a female hurt someone by watching them piss into a cup except to maybe make them feel a little embarrassed, I'm guessing anyone at a drug rehab facility– well, that's the least of their worries.) so allow them to go about their life unmolested.
Even the simplest of things, (living your life for example), too often are taken for granted, as we aren't free (this man for example seemed to have squared things with the government) but when it comes down to it, we still have to square things with everyone else… How horrible that too often we most curtail our own endeavors due to things such as fear. This man must now work through this (as he said, he needs the income from the second job) not because he did something wrong, but because his supervisor was too scared… too fearful… to just let him go on unmolested.
I think that this guy/girl what ever he/she wants to be called lol has a lot of issues. Its mind boggling for people to attempt to change their sex. It makes NO sense. What ever issue he or she has will not be fix by changing your identity. Its almost like the ultimate way out of being depressed or not liking your self. To actually change your sex. Its freaking crazy. On the argument on whether he or she should have been fired for telling the employer that is a different situation. I think its completely up to the employer. They probably feel as if they where lied too. If you spend time reading someone resume, bringing them in for an interview, talking to them. You hire a person in mind… the person you think you somewhat knew. That’s why you hired them because they are a specific person. The boss who fired him or her probably did it because she felt like she was lied to. She probably feels like she doesn’t really know the real person. People should have to tell the employer something like that and yes its going to cause issues for the transgender person but so be it. They can not decide who they are. What about the bathroom what bathroom sex does he or she go to.. This world is honestly ridiculous that someone can deny who they are. You are born a certain race and you cant do anything about that. You have to just accept it and live your life the best way you can. I bet you that transgender person doesn’t completely feel comfortable as a man maybe he or she feels a liitle more comfortable but he or she knows who they are. And they know others cant. Transgender people are so messed up in the head its sad.
Gender is becoming a constantly changing and debated topic in the United States as well as all around the world. It becomes and issue of debate in the adoption process, the armed forces, and in education. It is an issue that we have been discussing and trying to understand for centuries, though it seems to be becoming and ever changing and evolving definition and topic.
I am not sure why we ever have to define it anyways though. It shouldn’t affect any of those former topics that I listed. We need to stop judging people by their outside appearance and start evaluating them on their character and abilities. This is a deeply personal issue for many individuals and should be left at that. The government should not try to control people by dictating the rights of individuals’ rights. They should be able to marry anybody they want and it should have nothing to do with what “gender” each person chooses to affiliate by.
Gender is a very interesting sociological issue though. It is actually hard to understand how a person’s outside interactions with society could influence their “choice” to have affiliate with a gender. How then do we describe the people that say that they were born as a boy in a female’s body or born as a female in a boy’s body? I don’t think that those conclusions come from society at all. It seems like a deeply seeded sociological issue similar to suicide or falling in love.
I hope to see society move toward an understanding or at least tolerance of all types of gender and sexual orientation. I do not like to see any group of people being discriminated against for factors that are less their decision than many would actually understand. They should be given equal rights and choices in this nation and should be granted the same equal benefits to living in this nation as a “naturally born” male or female would. It will be very fascinating to see the direction that our society will be headed in the upcoming decades and if all genders will be given the proper treatment that they deserve.
I definitely think that an injustice was done against this man. Transgendered people have the right to be identified as whichever sex they prefer. I also believe that once they have made this decision it should be protected by the full extent of discrimination laws. However I do see where his boss was coming from when she made her decision. That to me is where the problem lies. When there are no laws in place or protocol for what to do in situations like these. Our people and more importantly our government needs to acknowledge transgendered people and afford them the same opportunities of everyone of the sex they identify as.
Unfortunately for situations like this it usually takes someone to speak out greatly on the situation. The man in the article values his privacy which is his constitutional right; however that may mean that nothing will change. As mentioned in the intersections book there is such a small percentage of people that identify as transgender and even more few of them are open about their journey. But that does not mean that they do not have just as much rights as every other American citizen. Also mentioned in the intersections article is the fact that we may not know how many people actually do identify as transgender because it is still such a taboo subject, that some people who are transgender will never actually come out and say it. I really think the only thing to be done at this point so that what happens to the man in the article never happens again is education. People need to realize what being transgender means and the more and more they are exposed to it, the more accepted it will become and the less and less accepted discriminations like the one in this article will occur. It will also take people who identify as transgender t o step forward and volley for their own rights. Like the man in the article who at least reported his discrimination, I hope that transgendered people all over the country and the globe have that same courage and even more.
I think when the issue of transgender people come up, a lot of people base their arguments around their opinions rather than actual facts. And I think a lot of the issues arise because people are just not well informed in the matter and don’t try to understand. Even for myself, my argument is based on opinion and beliefs. Although I do feel like I’m a little more informed than others because I took a class on LGBT issues and I myself am bisexual so I sort of understand the community.
In my opinion, people who are transgender really are the gender which they adopt, regardless of what they were born. I don’t think it’s something you can fully understand unless you are actually in it and are the person who is transgender. I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would be like if I was born the wrong gender. Just imagine living everyday not completely feeling yourself, knowing you’re in the wrong body. And the discrimination that transgender people encounter makes matters worse.
In this particular example with El’Jai Devoureau, there’s a lot that goes into it. First, Dr. Devoureau obviously knows himself best and therefore if he says he’s been male for as long as he can remember, then he is male. Gender reassignment surgery is a big deal and no one would undergo that surgery unless they were one-hundred percent sure they were born as the wrong gender. Also, in order to get gender reassignment surgery, one must feel really uncomfortable in the body they were born in. I don’t think its any outsiders place to say whether or not El’Jai Devoureau is a man or woman. I’m not a strong believer in God, but my argument is that God makes mistakes. He takes children when they are too young, he allows the good people to go through hard times, and he even makes people born in the wrong body. Who knows, maybe I’m completely wrong, but who am I to judge? Who am I to say whether or not someone is male or female? They know themselves best so I’ll let them decide.
This article was astonishing to me. I personally know someone who was somewhat in the same position as this man. A family in my neighborhood deals with the same situation on a daily basis. “He” was also born a female and changed to a male because that is the path he chose to take. Everyone is supportive especially me because I feel everyone has the right to be what feels right to them and to be happy. This article made me upset that people such as him are treated this way. The fact that he was fired under these circumstances is simply not fair. Sex change is not a legitimate factor to fire someone. This astonishes me. Even if he were to overcome this and get another job or regain this job he still would get some much discrimination and judgment on him. In this day and age I would hope that people would start become more accepting and realizing that everyone deserves to be happy and choose their lifestyle. It reminds of the article from intersections that distinguished sexes as “the five sexes.” The fact that someone can biologically be one gender but psychologically want to be the opposite is in my opinion and the articles opinion everyone’s free will and should be accepted. People need to put themselves in the eyes of these individuals and try to understand them and help them through their life. That is what I do with my neighbor and what their whole family does. That way he can live like a normal person unlike this poor man who lost his job over this troubling societal issue.
This situation is a little ambiguous, and I see a lot of people jumping to defend Mr. Devoureau, but I don't think they've thought through every detail. It may be acceptable in some cases for a person to change his or her gender, for hormonal abnormalities and genetic mutations, but in this case, Mr. Devoureau was born physically female. He was, for all intents and purposes, a woman, and it should not be up to him to change this. From a sociological point of view, as long as we remain in our American society, we are placed in two gender roles, either male or female. Trying to switch this has a negative impact on every aspect of one's social life. Also, my sociological lens may be a bit rusty, but I find it hard to imagine living outside of the social boundaries I was placed in by being born as a woman. I don't see how someone could find it so hard adapting to the body they've had since birth that they would prefer the social stigma attached to being transgender over being their own gender. After all, there are plenty of women and men alike who don't fit every stereotype, and no one feels that they are not acting true their own gender. Society understands that stereotypes do not necessarily hold for everyone, and that there are exceptions to every rule. No one would seriously judge a man for not being manly enough or a woman for not being womanly enough. Even if the individual chose to become transgender due to homosexuality, I think being gay has a lot less stigma nowadays than being transgender. Biologically speaking, there is no good reason for a person to become transgender. Our role as animals is to produce offspring. Transgender people who have undergone surgery cannot do this. It is also difficult to tell who they might be attracted to, so it is impossible to tell how likely they will be at finding both a relationship and a way to produce offspring. If there is no biological necessity for transgender people, and no evolutionary benefit to being transgender, it seems to me that transgender people are an anomaly, and not natural. Sociologically speaking, they face a lot of stigma, and it will take a long time for this stigma to wear off, if it ever does.
(1/2)The transgender issues in this world are getting complicated. These issues always have been complicated but those who are transgender were complacent with the way society viewed them and did not decide to start speaking out about their struggle until now. In my opinion, if a person syas they are a man, then they are a man. I know that brings up a whole new set of issues though because what if that person changes their mind one day and decides you know what I am tired of being a man and I want to try being a woman. I think sex should be done by biological testing. Usually, the people who feel that they are truly male at heart have more manly characteristics and personalities. I do not think that should be able to declare a different sex several times either though. I do not have a problem with anyone who is transgender, but I do think there are truly only two sexes. You can not be half man or half woman. The man in the article said he lived his life as a man, but had to sit down to pee because that was the way he was born.vi view him as a man because he leads his life a man.
(2/2). I do not view him as a she man. What happened to him is extremely sad because there are still people out in the world who are still that un accepting of those who were not born in the right body. Being a transgender, in my opinion, should be viewed like any other disability. I know disability is not the right word I am looking for because it does not handicap those who are transgender at all, but when you get down to it, it truly is just a birth defect. Everyone is comfortable with those who were born with birth defects like cleft palate, so then everyone should be comfortable with those who are born transgender. I doubt any person would truly choose to be transgender because it just automatically makes ehir life harder because they must put up with the judgments of others.
This article highlights how unfair some laws, or ideas can be in America. This “man” was born both female and male, and decided to be a male. As a young child he did anything and everything young boys could do. He lived all his life as a male, and that is how all his family and friends saw him. Later in his life, he decided to get surgery in order to have all the correct body parts in order to be a male. This man applied for a job as someone who oversees men who have just gotten out of rehab. He watches them pee in a cup, so that it is made certain that no one is utilizing someone else’s pee. Seeing as this man is not a “true man” so they say, he was fired from this job and was forced to leave. This man filed a law suit against his employer saying that it was unfair. I completely agree with this man. It is unfair to him that he is being discriminated against just because he was born transgender. He could carry out this job just as well as anyone else, and it is not fair that they fired him because he had genital surgery. This is not an example of treating people equally. This man was extremely hurt by these acts, and I feel bad for him. Hes trying to pay the bills for his family in this hard economy, and he gets fired from a job he truly needs because of the way he was born. There is no way this world is going to become a more peaceful place when we cant even accept those in our own country as equals. Society is shaped by so many unseen and unfair forces, and its not fair to some people because it does not work in their favor. This man should be allowed the job he deserves, because he truly is a man who deserves the position. People in our world need to stop being persuaded by unseen forces, and really concentrate on what is right for everyone.
After reading this article, it made me take some time to consider whether or not it would bother me if for some reason I needed a transgender person to watch me in these types of situations. I concluded that the individual does not have alternative motives; he or she is simply doing their job. Thinking about this situation allows me to think about what the titles of gender actually mean. Why is it necessary, in today’s world, to only consider male and female as an option when many people do not feel they can perfect mold to either of these groups? A person can be labeled male or female but ultimately, there is a need to change the labels of society because many individuals feel they cannot identify themselves with either of these particular groups. In today’s world, the traditional male and female genders are somewhat disappearing, or in any case, dividing into many more sub groups and ultimately altering the view of sexuality for many people. In this article, the “female-born” male is just what he identifies himself as. Male. The man was trying to work and act as a functional member of society; he had a job and was living the way he felt. It is a shame for outsiders to claim they know more about how he should live his life and try to determine his life for him. His boss did not have the right to invade his privacy when legally he was a male. This was the truth for him. This pressure from society to conform to a specific set of guidelines and live by them only because you are born a specific way does not correspond with the way the individual in this article truly feels. Also, it is not exactly fair that up until the point that this individual could legally change to a “male” that he was forced to designate his false gender on things such as a driver’s license or in society when to him, this was not his true self. In the end, this is the result that our two-gender world is forming. People who do not feel like they belong in their biologically born gender are essentially claiming a false identity and possibly in their eyes they consider it fraud.
I found this article to be very interesting mainly because this is an issue that I was recently introduced to. Although I am able to understand that the employer would want a male employee to have that job, however, I do not think that it was fair for the employer to fire him because of his transgender status. I think that he should have been considered for his work and not his identity. Also, I think that if the employer did not want a female to work at the job, she could not fire him for being female when all of his certificates say that he is male.
I had heard of transgender before, but it wasn’t until I read the article earlier in the semester that I learned of how common it is. I think that this is just another issue that needs to be brought to attention in society. In my opinion, this is a similar issue to same sex parents in that if society knew that it is fairly common and that it is not a problem, then everyone would most likely be more accepting of it. It is mainly a problem of exposure. What is necessary for acceptance is for some people who are transgender to expose themselves and express their concerns and troubles to society. This exposure would help to make this less of a taboo subject. I think that through this exposure, occurrences like the one in this article are most likely going to disappear. Although it is impossible to change everyone in societies view, it would help a lot to provide people with information on the subject. I know that for me it was not only interesting but very informative to hear about how prevalent this is and now to hear of one problem that this population has to face. I think that through becoming more public this can be something that people know about and don’t discriminate against in the future. No one should be discriminated and the only way to avoid it is to expose the issue and then set guidelines on how to handle future situations.
I can honestly say that I have no strong, firm view point on this topic. Yes, I do believe that people should have the freedom to think of themselves to be whatever gender they wish to be, however, there is a line to be drawn at some point. I agree with the privacy of his surgery however, given his job, I don't think it is appropriate for a naturally born female to be partaking in that particular job. Granted, he was trying to live his life as any other man would, however, it is vague to society where that line should be drawn. Privacy is essential, but what about the privacy of the men using the urinals and being watched by this other so called fellow man? They deserve proper privacy as well. It is a very fuzzy topic and I am such will cause much debate for the future. Do I think it is proper to take this to the justice system? No. Although it will indirectly affect the justice system, I don't think it is appropriate to reveal this mans private feelings, and surgeries to the public. Ever he told his boss, "that is a private thing." In summation, the man wants to be a man so let it be. He acts like a man, apparently looks like one, and I am certain he feels like a man as well. Maybe there should just be some firm lines drawn as to what altered gendered people can and can not do. Perhaps on the basic Doctor forms when they ask if you are a male/ female, Weight/height…etc. They should also add a question asking is you have had any sex changing operations. Sure, your weight has effected a job offer or a Dr. appointment as does your gender and all the other things asked on that general piece of paper. Therefore, if people are going to say that gender changes will effect these things as well, why not just add it to the list. There's no harm in that, it still remains private.
After reading this, I thought back to a research paper (exploring an issue) I did for my English class about the debate- the issue of gay marriage. One of my three main points I discussed was whether or not gay couples or gay people in general, could positively contribute to society. Well, sure they can- being gay doesn't effect how smart you are; I mean, there are many homosexual people at Penn State, many of which will graduate with a degree. With that being said, to say that this transgender man can't work a job that requires monitoring urine sampling is ridiculous. From the man or group of people who fired him, their standpoint was probably: it's uncomfortable to have a natural "woman-turned-man" monitoring this job. However, that is basically discriminating against L.J.
In today's society, we have so many different kinds of people in terms of diversity and variety that it's hard to keep track of who belongs with who- in essence, we abandon the motto "we are all one" when some people act against others like this. I don't necessarily agree with the whole transgender thing, but that doesn't mean I'd discriminate. Gender is described as the subclass based on characteristics..so sociologically speaking, all this man has is a few different characteristics than the "norm" that some authorities live by. If this man has lived his whole live as a man, and who has been considered to be a man his whole life by himself and by those who know him, then his employer or people in general should learn to accept that and get on with life.
It may be possible that these people in society today who can't seem to accept people such as gays or transgenders maybe fear change…ironically, this change is accepting people for who they are- not really a new idea, but one that isn't easy to act on apparently. Personally, I hope Mr. Devoureau gets his job back because this would be a moral victory not only for him, but for those who are in a similar position of prejudice in the work place, including women in some cases.
#1/3:
To be quite honest, I don’t feel as though the Urban Treatment Center committed any wrong. While one may initially think that the actions against El’Jai Devoureau may initially seem discriminatory, under certain conditions discrimination can be legal. Yes, that’s right…legal. I’m sure many people reading this are not aware of the BFOQ (Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications) law, which is “a defense to acknowledge discrimination, usually based on the existence of a facially discriminatory policy, such as ‘individuals over the age of 50 shall not be hired as police officers.’” Aside from age discrimination, discrimination of gender is also permitted under certain circumstances under the law.
#2/3:
Let me make this clear before I continue: I do not view El’Jai Devoureau as a male. She still has female XY chromosomes and female reproductive organs. In fact, many male transsexuals can have children if they had not had an oophorectomy or hysterectomy. Also, a woman changed into a man is not able to ejaculate semen because, as mentioned formerly, they do still have female reproductive organs and lack the necessary male organs. I think it to be very foolish if people consider transsexuals to be the sex that they transitioned into over the course of life and not the sex they were born into. As far as I am concerned, El’Jai was not a man: she still has XY (female) chromosomes, a female reproductive system, and lacks the necessary male organs needed in order to impregnate a woman.
I thought this article was very sad. I would like to think that at this time people could look past a person’s sexual orientation. I know that this is a particular type of job where people must be a specific gender to do the job. However, I think it is crazy that this man got fired for being transgender. Especially when he had specific surgeries. And he was fired based solely on the fact that he used to be a she. I wonder if his employer even bothered to ask the people urinating if they at all ever felt uncomfortable in front of the man. I highly doubt that any of them even once questioned or realized that the person supervising their urination was a transgender. I could understand being fired for inappropriate behavior, but this man seemingly has done nothing wrong. I just feel bad that this man’s personal life and private surgeries are going to be brought into the public eye. I agree with him filing a lawsuit though, no one should have to be fired for their sexual orientation. As far as this article goes, this man has done nothing wrong. Maybe this will open more eyes to the things that transgender people have to go through. Or any person who is not heterosexual. I wonder if the man’s employer still stands by her decision to fire him. I think people do not understand different sexes and different orientations and that makes people ignorant. As long as people are quick to judge what is different, or unusual to them stories like this are going to continue. I really hope that this man can get his job back. He is right, times are hard now and he needs this other job. He should not have to be discriminated against. It is clear that he has been a “man” his entire life. And if there was no inappropriate behavior, firing someone because they are transgender is simply unacceptable and rude. I am glad that this man is taking a stand and is not just silently putting up with this type of discrimination. No one deserves that.
“They were judging me for who I am, not for the job I was being asked to do, and that’s wrong, and I was hurt,” he said. “I’m doing this so everyone knows it’s wrong, so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
I would just like to point out that this was my favorite part of the article. This man is absolutely right. What happened to him was completely wrong, and in my opinion, it would be foolish to hire someone who was born a male who does a worse job as opposed to a man who was born female who would do a great job. While I do not know how well El'Jai did his job, I do not believe that his position would have truly required that the employee be a male. If El'Jai has undergone a sex change, or even if he has not, he clearly identifies himself with being a male. I do not see why there is a problem in this. If he wants to work there, let him. Let HIM. Had the employer not "heard" that he was transgender, the employer never would have known the difference.
Like others have already stated, I too was reminded of the section of the Intersections book that talked about the different sexes, or rather, those we don't really mention. I think that this ideology is one that the world is going to have to adapt to at some point. We cannot keep treating people this way, for they are just as human as any of the rest of us. If we are trying to eliminate discriminatory behavior from mankind, and are trying to be a more accepting population, then why is the firing of a transgender from a job acceptable? It seems contradictory. It seems wrong. It is wrong.
Another thing in relation to discrimination against transgenders is the discrimination of women in the work environment. As we said in class on Monday when three students spoke to us, women are thought of as less able to perform the same tasks as men. And not only that, but I was unaware of the term TNA, or "tits and ass," but found it to be so rude, especially in an organization that is respected and honored by so many Americans. I was appalled to hear that women were judged this way and am finding that discrimination against genders, of all types, is still present, and its eradication is still a work in progress.
This article shows a problem that we have faced as a country many times over. Our constitution strives for and promises equality for all. But the American people as a whole aren't entirely along for the ride. In the early 1900s women were going through a lot and fighting through a lot of mistreatment to achieve women's sufferage. It was a radical ideal at the time. People who criticized the movement believed that voting is a man's thing to do and that women shouldn't be concerned with that kind of thing. Simply put, today that opinion is considered stupid. Society today accepts that women are just as capable as men and that they have just as much right to vote as men do.
Next was during the 60s. African American rights had been restored by the the government but on the state level, and in everyday life, African Americans were not equal. As they protested behind Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and many others, people began to see that African Americans deserved to be treated equally to whites just like women were as apposed to men.
The way I see it, situations just like the one presented in this article are simply the latest form of a cycle our country has been going through. Ever since the 1960s, sex has been taken out from the depths American culture kept it in, and brought it to the forefront. It was no longer a taboo word. People openly talk about it today. With the topic of sex, came the topic of who people prefer to have sex with. It only makes sense that people started to feel more comfortable about their sexuality. Today, now that homosexuality is open and on the table, people are learning to deal with it. (I should mention here that when I say homosexuality, I am also including, bisexuality, transgenders, and everythign else that typically is listed with that). There are many who support gays as equals to heterosexuals, as the should be. But there are also those who see homosexuality as unnatural and that people shouldn't be doing this. They would look at this article and say that LJ is a woman and she was rightfully fired because she had no buisness doing that job. (I used the word she to further my point).
I think that situations like this are simply repetitions of situations we have already been seeing for the past hundred years. First it was women's rights, then race equality, this is just the next step. When we as Americans say that every man (and woman) is created equal, we need to then learn what we mean by "every man and woman". Its a learning process. As time passes the American people will grow more comfortable with homosexuality and transgenders much like they did with women voting and African Americans. Im not saying its fair, but through time this issue will blow by.
One more thought to leave you with, if this is a cycle of Americans learning to accept different types of people, who will the next one be? Keep in mind that in past examples of this there have been those who were raised to believe something that was then challenged. Even if right now you are all for equality between heterosexuals and homosexuals, you might not be the next time this comes around.
It is stated hat El’Jai is a man on his license, birth certificate, and with social security records. What more could his employers need to prove his is a man? I truly do not understand why he was fired from his job. El’Jay is a man, even though he was born female. We are not based strictly on the male of female gender. Like the Intersections reading says, there are more than just 2 genders. I do not get how people can be so close-minded. People should not get fired from their job for simply being themselves. I am happy that El’Jai is choosing to stand up for himself and is filing a lawsuit. I always think about how far our generation has come in accepting difference in others compared to how the world used to be, but then I hear about a story like this one that completely ruins this progress. I am also bothered that the article says that only 12 states have banned discrimination based on transgender status. It is surprising to me that not all states have banned this type of discrimination. There should be no prejudice at all against people of different genders, as well as race. I am from New Jersey, so it pleases me that we are 1 of 12 states to have transgender discrimination banned. I hope that this does break ground across the rest of the country and causes others states to add gender identity or expression to their law against job discrimination.
I feel horrible that El’Jai had to go through this discrimination at his job, yet I am happy that he is choosing to file a suit and make this problem known to the rest of the world. I am glad he is doing this so that things like this won’t happen to anyone else in the future. I understand jobs having certain qualifications, but El’Jai did fit the qualification of being a man so it is wrong to fire him. El’Jai is standing up for himself. He should not have to talk about his personal life at his work place, especially to his supervisor who seems judgmental. I with the best for El’Jai in this case and although he wants his old job back, I think he belongs at a job where people won’t disrespect him for being himself.
While I read this, I got extremely upset. People are afraid of what they don't understand, plain and simple as that. No one is fully male or fully female, we all have characteristics of both genders, and that is why it is called exactly that – gender. It’s the word sex that defines what we are, and that generally goes by how we feel we are, just like I feel I am female, and El’Jai defines himself as male. I’m glad that New Jersey has that policy against discrimination against factors like sex and race, because problems like this should not happen. Unless El’Jai was unable to complete the job successfully or there was an issue with the job he was doing, he should not have been fired – plain and simple. To me, I view this issue very much like I view a boss firing a guy doing the exact same job El’Jai was doing because the person doing the job was gay. In the end, it really comes down to what bathroom does El’Jai go into, if it’s the male bathroom, then hell he’s male. I really hope that justice is served in this case, and like he said he really needs the job.
It always amazes me that people always say “Oh, that person is racist”, and the issues that were fought over 200 years ago are still going on, and something that happened in the past century for women’s rights are still being fought. I can feel the next revolution is going to be the LGBT community. I honestly cannot wait for that revolution to happen, because I am sick of hearing slurs against them, and in cases like this, jobs being taken away because of something so little as a sex change. Stories like these are recently all over the Internet, the most recent being the picture of the little boy with neon pink toenails with his mother. I cannot see the issues of being gay, and especially those who are transgender who were honestly born that way and have absolutely no control over how they were born. It’s unfortunate the idiots like El’Jai’s boss cannot see past that.
Transgender Complications, who is a man? After reading the article I completely agree with him. I don’t think it is right to an employer or even anyone to tell him or anyone else how they can or can not live their own life. If someone has lived their entire life as a man, seen as a man by everyone around them and treated so then what makes them any less of a man than some other man. I do not think its right that he is discriminated against in the work field when his employers of fellow employees find out he is a so called transgender but in reality if no one had ever said anything to them about it they would have never known. If no one spent the time talking about each other and trying to find out everyone’s dirty little secret then it would never get to the point where the employers or employees were questioning his sexuality or even him as a man. If they focused only on his work performance and tactics then there would never be laws preventing employers from discriminating against people because of their gender or their race or any stupid physical aspect that has absolutely nothing to do with their work habits. What does “normal” or “true” or “real” even mean anyways? What makes a person “normal”? Or what makes someone a “real” man or woman? Everything is defined by the society and culture we live in and that’s not fair because its as though we have reached a point where not everyone’s opinion matters and only some people actually have a say in life and in our society. Why is it that our government gets to basically decide how everyone is meant to or supposed to live their lives. Aren’t we supposed to be a free country able to make our own decisions and live our own lives? To an extent anyone can argue that we are free compared to other countries but I am not trying to compare us to anyone else I am just saying that we should be at a point in our society and with our government that we can live our own lives and not have to deal with everyone telling us what is “real” or “true” for us because the only person who should truly be able to answer that question is each individual person because no one knows them better or knows their feelings better than them. Someone can tell them they aren’t a “real” this or a “true” that but in the end all that matters is what that individual person feels to be “real” or “true” or “normal”. So I don’t really know how to answer the question who is a man because I believe it varies for each and every person.
The life of a transgendered individual is undoubtedly a confusing, hectic one. They battle each day and night guessing which sex they can truly identify with. Beyond that, their days can be marked by humiliation and trauma, as we all know how society can be rather harsh on unique individuals who don’t look, act, think, and dress as we do. But what makes it especially hard on transgendered humans is the fact that the law does not always completely protect the reality of their situation. When you go to the doctor’s office or fill out a college application, there are specific indicators for male and female, but that is all. How then, does a person who can physically identify with two genders, supposed to carry out their everyday lifestyle without constant reminders of their ‘differences’? The truth of the matter is that their life is hard, and it will keep getting more and more difficult so long as the government does not intervene and ensure equal rights so that their everyday living situation can run smoothly. Mr. Devoureau’s case is truly a hurtful one. As he states in the article, he has always identified himself as a male, even at the early stages of life. Despite his female body parts, Devoureau made a lifestyle decision when he decided to completely and physically become a man. After that was said and done, there should never be a question about someone’s gender. A person deserves to live out their lives under the identity that they choose, and nobody has the right to question that. El’Jai’s case is shocking to me, as I never figured that an industry had the right to question a person’s gender despite their documents having explicit definition of his sex. In my opinion, once your birth certificate, social security, and all other identification documents qualify you as a certain gender, no human being has any standing to question it, despite your personal history. It is painful being fired from a job on the grounds that ‘you are not the gender you say you are,’ because for Mr. Devoureau, and many other transgenders across the world, they identified themselves with a gender at a young age. How can somebody question the person you have been for the better part of your lifetime?
I have a hard time understanding transgendered people. When born, for the most part, humans either have a penis or a vagina. This is what distinguishes sex on our planet. The part I do not understand is how someone can take their thoughts and feelings and think that they have anything to do with gender. In a high school Sociology class I took last year we studied young boys who liked to wear dresses and play with dolls and do things generally associated with being a girl. These boys saw themselves as girls because the way they thought and felt and acted was more like how girls thought and felt and acted. But this is not what makes a girl a girl. The only defining characteristic of gender is having a penis or a vagina. In society our genders are separated by our actions, guys supposedly being tough and macho while girls are dainty and elegant. But a guy who is dainty and elegant is still a guy.
Someone who has had a sex change however is very different. Were someone to grow up and decide “I’ve lived my whole life with this, but I think I’d be happier with that” makes perfect sense. No one chooses which type of anatomy they are born with and everyone should be free to try the other option. In these cases, once the operation is fully completed, the gender of the person should legally change. What could make a man with a vagina a man?
Like I said, I learned last year about children who grew up believing they were the wrong gender. Eight and nine year olds that simply chose to dress and play like the opposite gender, and maybe take a more feminine or masculine name. These children, for the most part, were highly encouraged by their parents to continue thinking they are a girl trapped in a boy’s body, or vise versa. While it is good these parents are supportive of their kids no matter what, they should be telling their children there is nothing wrong with being girl who acts like a boy. Thoughts and feelings and actions are only associated with gender, they do not define it.