This is Part II of a 5-part series designed to highlight the similarities in the rhetorical tactics commonly used by both Separatists and Fundamentalists. While a Fundie might say that “If gay marriage is legal, America will have hurricanes in the future,” this series reviews some of the ways in which Separatists have claimed that “If the transgender community does ABC, XYZ disaster will happen in the future.” In Part I of this series, I reviewed the foretold wrath trans folk would suffer at the hands of the IRS.

Failed Forecast of Doom #2: Trans Employment Equality = Doom

In this premonition of doom from the Harry Benjamin Syndrome (HBS) sect of TS Separatism, they claim that using the term “transgender” in a manner consistent with the English language causes employers to discriminate.

Back in 2006 it was foretold by the HBS Prophets that:

“Lumping people with HBS into the transgender camp has terrible consequences for them… Jobs can be denied (after all you’re one of those weirdo’s)… This creates the possibility of revoking this right in other states and countries, where people with HBS are considered to be transgender, since transgender people are almost never considered by the general public to be any sex other than the one they were assigned to at birth.”

Yes, that’s right… world-wide DOOOOOM!

Three years later in 2009, the United Nation’s Commissioner of Human Rights published a policy report on   “Human Rights and Gender Identity.” The Note that the Commissioner uses the term “transgender” in a manner consistent with the English language:

..it should be pointed out that the transgender community is very diverse. It includes pre-operative and post-operative transsexual persons, but also persons who do not choose to undergo or do not have access to operations. They may identify as female-to-male (FTM) or male-to-female (MTF) transgender persons, and may or may not have undergone surgery or hormonal therapy. The community also includes cross-dressers, transvestites and other people who do not fit the narrow categories of ‘male’ or ‘female’. Many legal frameworks only seem to refer to transsexual persons, leaving out a decisive part of the community.

The report goes on to note…

Unemployment is a major concern for transgender persons. The Engendered Penalties study shows that only 31% of the respondents are in full-time employment. The exact figure for transgender women is 40% and for transgender men 36%, while among the non-transgender population these figures are 57% for women and 72% for men. Spanish research into unemployment amongst transgender people showed that 54% of the respondents were unemployed.45 Some jobless transgender persons, particularly transgender women, are unable to find employment, and see no other option but to work in the sex industry…

The need for national non-discrimination legislation in all Council of Europe member states, which includes gender identity as a ground for discrimination in the labour market is thus evident. It is particularly important that changes to non-discrimination laws are also accompanied by awareness-raising campaigns for employers and employees so that the size and the seriousness of the problem is understood. Employers should be better aware of the situation of transgender people to guarantee a safe work environment for all. Special transitional measures may be needed to amend existing work rules, such as dress codes or the use of restroom facilities. Another important aspect is that educational institutions should have the duty to change retroactively the name and sex of a transgender person in degree certificates. This would ensure that transgender persons can continue to benefit from their vocational and academic training and enables them to apply for work appropriate to their professional qualifications rather than pretending they never had any training.

And what happened? That same year, the below countries in blue signed the United Nations declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity:

In case you need me to spell it out for you, that’s: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela

This UN decoration affirms that the following applies to trans folk:

Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment

On top of that, in 2010 the International Commission of Jurists published its FOURTH edition of the ‘Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Human Rights Law: References to Jurisprudence and Doctrine of the United Nations Human Rights System.’ This reference book is a comprehensive review of the way protections are being implemented throughout the world with policy recommendations, press references, and updates… basically it’s teaches world leaders how to do evil bidding of the TG Borg.

What kind of nefarious ne’er do wells are behind the creation of  this TG Borg book of heresy you ask? Well, they’re an international commission of eminent judges and lawyers from around the world with nobodies like the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights/President of Ireland.

When I met with Chai Feldblum (Obama-appointed EEOC Commissioner), I stressed the need to move forward with protecting trans folk under Title VII.   In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has begun filing briefs in support of trans protections under Title VII.

UPDATE: The EEOC has just ruled that trans folk are covered under Title VII protections:

Minter, who has been working for LGBT legal equality since law school in the early 1990s, says, ”This is huge. This is a real sea change.

”To have just a clear, definitive EEOC ruling that Title VII protects transgender people gives us so much more certainty and security and solid, reliable legal protection. For decades now, advocates and scholars both have been saying Title VII should be applied to protect transgender people,” he says. ”And now, to have the EEOC confirm that, ‘Yes … Title VII should and does protect transgender people when they’re discriminated against because they’ve changed their sex or intend to change their sex or because they’re gender nonconforming. That is sex discrimination.’ That is really an important capstone.”

Davis, the head of the Transgender Law Center, says the decision is a ”big leap forward in the journey to equality.” Explaining, he says, ”It is the game-changer, asserting that transgender people can bring claims at EEOC offices across the country.”

If this isn’t the exact opposite outcome of what Separatist foretold, I don’t know what is.

Oh,The Irony!

One might think that the failure of Separatism doom predictions may had shaken faith in Separatist dogma. Not so! In 2011, Separatists wrote the UN asking them to REVERSE trans protections based on gender identity and expression! Like the Branch Davidians eager to bring about the foretold doomsday prophecy, Separatists moved to burn away that which trans-folk throughout the world hoped to seek refuge.      

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