November 22, 2010
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is aiming to raise awareness of discrimination against transgender people both in everyday life and in the workplace.
Transgender individuals can include transsexuals, cross dressers, or any other gender-variant.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance is held around November 20 every year to remember the victims of transgender hate or prejudice crime. In light of this the TUC is aiming to educate society in an attempt to remove discrimination and suffering from becoming a regular occurrence.
The TUC says that transgender people in Britain often face violent physical attacks, alongside prejudice and general harassment in their communities and at work, but, the negative experiences of people who live their life this way are often ignored.
Over the last decade, more than one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, and more than 200 transgender people have been murdered since the beginning of January 2008. This trend shows no sign of abating.
A new service has been launched that allows transgender people who are victims of crime to report it in confidence at www.tcrime.net. The website and service aims to gather information and data on attacks in the UK and persuade the Government to take the issue seriously.
TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said:
“Discrimination and hatred are part of the daily lives of far too many trans people in Britain, and employers need to make sure all their employees are working in environments free from transphobia, violence and prejudice.
“If Britain is to be a truly equal and inclusive society we need to understand the issues facing trans people, and develop practical steps to end discrimination in our workplaces and beyond.”
The Clare Project, a charity that helps people explore gender identity issues has welcomed the news.
Being a transsexual is now a ‘protected characteristic’ in the eyes of employment law. Trans individuals are entitled to be free from direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation whilst at work.
The Sex Discrimination Act (SDA) was amended in May 1999 to protect transsexual people against discrimination in employment and vocational training. If you feel you are being treated differently from your peers approach solicitors for advice.
