The client is transgender and works at an airport. Her supervisor wants her to change in the changing room for disabled people. The client does not want to, as she does not have a disability. Female colleges are apparently not comfortable with her being in the women’s changing room. She also receives nasty comments and one colleague asks: “Why don’t you work at the Red Light District?”
Intake, mediation and aftercare
Differential treatment based on transsexuality is seen as differential treatment based on gender. In the framework of a fair hearing we agree with the client that she should send a letter of complaint to her employer. The Meldpunt Discriminatie Regio Amsterdam also initiates a mediation meeting to come to a collective solution. In this meeting the incidents are discussed. One of the agreements made is that the client may now use the women’s changing room. To ensure good aftercare, the Meldpunt Discriminatie maintained contact with the client regarding the agreements made. The client confirms that she now uses the women’s changing room.
Recent developments
In March 2019, parliament accepted a law to clarify that differential treatment based on gender includes differentiation between sexual characteristics, gender identity and gender expression.