Q: i am FTM transgender. Is there something i can do about my general manager discriminating against me to co workers?
i am 25, and FTM transgender. I lost my job beginning of March due to the sudden outbreaks of the virus, i was talking with a former co worker about possibly getting my job back, he said he would ask the manager, i was then informed my General Manager is being discriminating & slanderous towards me, saying that I'm not allowed to come back to work, she's cutting off my unemployment (Which I'm already not receiving) & intentionally using my birth name and female pronouns even when she knows i don't want co workers & others to know my birth name or gender for my own protection and sanity. apparently she's always referred to me as female awhenever I'm not around.. I already have severe anxiety & dysphoria about myself on top of depression. We live in a small country area where i have to see these people everyday and now i have to worry about how my coworkers and others are now looking at me.. Is there something i can do about this? Do i have a case if i go to the higher up bosses?
A:
In late June, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit (which covers Michigan), holding generally that discrimination (and by extension harassment) against transgender individuals because of their status or gender nonconformity is discrimination because of sex under Title VII (a federal anti-discrimination statute).
Whether you have a claim would require evaluation of all the facts by an experienced employment lawyer. It's important to note that the Michigan appellate courts may take a different view under state law. To pursue your rights under *federal* law you will need to first file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights or the EEOC. There are strict deadlines for doing that, so you should seek an employment law consultation as soon as possible, before you file your administrative complaint with the EEOC.
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