Macy's employee fired for refusing to follow company policy

[Annette]

Seriously, my eyes could not roll any further back in my head.

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14100&PRID=1133

Macy’s Fires Employee for Protecting Women’s Dressing Rooms from Cross-dresser

www.LC.org

San Antonio, TX – A young woman was fired from a Macy’s department store for refusing to violate her religious beliefs by permitting a young man dressed as a woman from entering the women’s dressing room. Natalie Johnson claims she saw the young man walk out of the women’s fitting room and politely told him that he could not go back in because it was for women only. The cross-dressing young man claimed that he is a “female.†Johnson said that he was wearing make-up and girl’s clothing, but clearly he was a male. The cross-dresser was accompanied by five other individuals. The group argued with expletives that Macy’s is LGBT-friendly, to which Johnson replied that Macy’s is also non-discriminatory toward religion, and that it would go against her religious beliefs to lie that he was a woman or compromise with homosexuality. The group then demanded to speak with a manager.

When Johnson was confronted by her employer, she explained that she could not allow a male to change in a female’s fitting room. Johnson’s boss referred her to Macy’s LGBT policy which allows “transgender†people to change in any dressing room they want. However, Johnson pointed out that the same policy also protects against religious discrimination and, in this case, it protects her right to her beliefs that were being violated. The manager demanded that she comply with the LGBT policies or lose her job. Johnson refused to go against her sincerely held religious beliefs and was terminated from her job.

Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, commented: “Macy’s policy which allows men to use the women’s dressing room is fraught with problems. This policy will cause significant problems and will alienate the majority of Macy’s customers. Macy’s has essentially opened women’s dressing rooms to every man. The LGBT agenda has become the theater of the absurd.â€

Oh yes, Macy's will lose more than half their customers...right...

[2xx1xy1JD]

How exactly were the clerk's religious rights violated?

The clerk wasn't being asked to march in a Pride Parade, or to change in the changeroom herself.

Her views on homosexuality or cross-dressing are irrelevant. SHE is not being asked to sleep with someone of the same sex or cross-dress, nor is she being asked for her opinion on those things. Freedom of religious doesn't = freedom to subject your customers to your preaching while working for your employer.

[Aurora]

I wouldn't have thought dressing rooms were that strictly gender-segregated anyway? They just happen to be located in the men's or women's sections. I guess a man going in there to try on women's clothes would raise eyebrows, but don't men go in there sometimes anyway to give opinions on their wives' choices and such? (I don't know, i hate shopping and don't go often, so I might have forgotten) :?

[snarkbillie]

This is why fitting rooms need not be gender segregated at all. I'm too poor to shop at Macy's so I shop at Wal*mart. They have a bank of unisex fitting rooms. Nobody is ever traumatized by this. You go into your little closet, try on your clothes, come out when you're done. No problem.

Macy's should desegregate their fitting rooms.

[Austin]

I shop at Macy's and don't even pay attention to if fitting rooms are marked by gender. I hate trying on clothes in general, but if I must do it, I go to the first dressing room I see and have never paid attention one way or the other. And I have stood right outside the door on many-an-occasion when my sons/husband were trying on clothes (waiting to give my opinion or run to get another size). Nobody's ever said a word about it.

People are crazee.

[browncoatslytherin]

yet another cry of "ZOMG I'M BEIN PERSECUTED!" *sigh* i'm getting really, really tired of that old hat. it's sounding like a really annoying broken record.

[Rachel333]

Ugghh, I hate the tone in the article. So hateful towards transgender people.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I wouldn't have thought dressing rooms were that strictly gender-segregated anyway? They just happen to be located in the men's or women's sections. I guess a man going in there to try on women's clothes would raise eyebrows, but don't men go in there sometimes anyway to give opinions on their wives' choices and such? (I don't know, i hate shopping and don't go often, so I might have forgotten) :?

I'm a woman (born and identified) who wears men's clothing the vast majority of the time. I realize that's the "safer" direction if we're talking about crossdressing (before getting to any transgender issues) but yeah, I always use the dressing room that's closest to the sales floor where I've found the pants I'm trying out, which usually means the men's in a department store, and I have never gotten any complaints over it.

Farm'n'Fleet, meanwhile, has one changing room area for the entire store as far as I know. It's always a mix of people in it, but all the little rooms lock.

I'm pretty sure the one at our local Gap is also unisex (again, with lockable rooms).

Sounds like this employee just got disturbed by the idea of this person (was it a trans woman? or someone cross-dressing, as a self-identified man? Article doesn't seem to say, but I suspect the author wouldn't recognize the difference) not passing well and so reminding her of the fact that there are people out there blurring the gender boundary. Or something. (I mean, if the person with the clothes had looked perfectly femmy, regardless of identity or physical traits under the clothes, this employee wouldn't have noticed anything "amiss" and wouldn't have cared, y'know?)

[VodouDoll]

The line for the men's dressing room at the Downtown Crossing H&M is always waaaaaaay shorter than the line for the women's dressing room, so that's where I sometimes go even though I'm trying on women's clothes. Nobody's ever made a deal of it.

There is no way that acknowledging that the customer was a trans woman and allowing her to use the dressing room the store designates appropriate could be a violation of this salesclerk's religion. What a bigot.

[CanadianHippie]

"Wa wa wa, Macy's wont let me discriminate against their customers," is pretty much all I read in that.

[fakepigtails73]

Seriously, my eyes could not roll any further back in my head.

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14100&PRID=1133

Oh yes, Macy's will lose more than half their customers...right...

Who wants to bet that the "liberty Counsel" or whatever it's called will get her a lawyer pro-bono to fight this?? I,m sure that it's already done.

[CanadianHippie]

Ugghh, I hate the tone in the article. So hateful towards transgender people.

From the "liberty" councel webpage? Not a huge surprise. Check it out http://www.lc.org/media/9980/adopt_a_liberal.htm, you get to pick a liberal in power and pray for them.

[Constance Vigilance]

Haaaaateful. Very glad Macy's did the right thing.

"Compromise with homosexuality". What a nasty, nasty woman.

[luckylibrarian]

I'm so glad that Macy's fired that wench, and I hope that retailers sit up and take notice. Employees should be trained to deal with this situation in the appropriate way.

[fakepigtails73]

She'll probably get a job offer from a fundie-owned business like "Chick-a-Fila" or whatever it's called.

[EmmieJ]

Considering the slim pickings out there, job-wise, seems like this woman cut off her nose to spite her face.

Good luck spending all her holiness credits at the grocery store.

[dianapavelovna]

From the "liberty" councel webpage? Not a huge surprise. Check it out http://www.lc.org/media/9980/adopt_a_liberal.htm, you get to pick a liberal in power and pray for them.

I love that they have Olympia Snowe & fucking AH-NOLD on that list. Get a clue, guys.

[Caxpax]

Hmmmm...this took place in San Antonio? Wonder if the ex-employee has any connection to VF? Although since she's a working woman, probably not. Glad to hear they fired her bigoted butt. Although Macy's has had issues in the past when it comes to Trans issues- it looks like they are finally getting it right.

[JesusFightClub]

Like gardenvarietycitizen, I wear a lot of men's clothes (in fact as we speak I am wearing men's shorts and a man's shirt). I tried on the shirt in a "female" changing room, no one cared. If there's cubicles everyone can change happily and in peace, right?

I don't understand what this has to do with homosexuality either. If the person was homosexual or not, which we don't know anyway, presumably the shop assistant doesn't refuse to serve openly homosexual shoppers? Would she ban a lesbian from.going in the women's changing room?

Very weird, this.

[dairyfreelife]

I support Macy's decision to fire this girl.

I work retail and the fitting room there has a room for men and one for women, but I never thought much about it. Never had a transgender in there. I was more concerned about making sure no one was trying to steal something than worrying about the gender.

[Smooth Beans]

I'm glad Macy's fired her. What a toolette. I wonder how she'd react to the unisex dressing rooms most stores where I live have--or how she'd react to the restaurant with a unisex bathroom(all stalls with very high locking doors, everyone uses the same sinks). I bet her preshus little head would explode.

[Constance Vigilance]

to which Johnson replied that Macy’s is also non-discriminatory toward religion

Yes, i.e. you can't use your religion to discriminate. :roll: Lord.

[Angri-la]

I can just imagine how far this will go: imagining a saleswoman telling you she won't sell you a tube top or Daisy Dukes because they are "immodest" and selling them will be discriminatory towards her religion? Or a grocery store clerk refusing to ring up your bacon, because they are kosher? Or a makeup counter rep refusing to sell you lipstick because it will make you a "painted face Jezebel"?

Yeah, go work @ chick feel a or Kirk Cameron's production/banana worship company. Too bad she wasn't a he: VF would have hired a young man, especially if he has pouty lips and high color.

[emmiedahl]

I have worked for Macy's and they are not at all a controlling employer for the most part. We had an entire employee meeting about how we are allowed to use the holiday greeting of our choice, or none at all. But they are firm on GLBTQ rights and this bitch deserved to be fired.

If she was uncomfortable, she could have called a supervisor; Macy's stores encourage supervisor involvement whenever an employee is unsure of a situation and the GM's are trained to be supportive of this and to handle any situations that a floor employee does not want to. I usually called my supervisor a few times a shift, because floor staff are not supposed to make any judgment calls unless it is in favor of the customer. We were told that we would never be reprimanded for giving a customer what they want--PERIOD--but to call the GM if we had any questions.

I really liked working there; if only they paid more! Yeah, this lady goes against everything that Macy's tries to be: tolerant and benevolent to customers and staff.

ETA: I was told: never tell a customer "No", call the GM and let them handle it.

[flojo]

Oh yes, Macy's will lose more than half their customers...right...

I have a sudden urge to start shopping at Macy's...