Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Transgender woman demands apology and £2,500 compensation over claims Southern Rail staff twice called her 'SIR'
A transgender woman is demanding an apology and £2,500 in compensation after claiming she was called 'sir' by Southern Rail staff.
Katie Yeomans, 66, said she needed pills to sleep after she was called 'sir' twice while talking to staff. Once when she was asking a question, and again two weeks later when she asked for a platform number.
She is demanding an apology, training for Southern Rail's staff, and compensation.
The train company said it has looked into the incident 'thoroughly' and disputes the claims.
Miss Yeomans told The Brighton Argus: 'It is diabolical. 'I care because I spent five years transitioning and I have all of my legal documentation. 'So whether people like it or not I am a woman and I expect to be treated as a woman. 'I don’t expect to be treated as a man.'
She is upset that despite having gender reassignment surgery almost two years ago, she says she was called 'sir' twice by Southern Rail staff.
On one occasion, she alleges that when trying to speak to a staff member she was told to 'take a seat, sir'.
On another occasion, about two weeks later, she claims that when asking a staff member what platform the Brighton train was on, she was told 'platform number one, sir'.
Miss Yeomans said: 'I find it insulting how people will call me sir and find that acceptable.
She said she believes it is her duty to stand up for other trans women.
'The resolution I’m looking for is an apology. 'I also want reassurance that their equality and diversity training is up to scratch.
'In view of stress and anxiety this case has caused me, I am seeking compensation.' The rail ombudsman can get up to £2,500 in damages.
A Southern Rail spokesman said: 'We have looked into this thoroughly and dispute what has been claimed.
'However with investigations ongoing it would be inappropriate to make any further comment on this particular case.
'We promote diversity within the organisation and across the rail industry.
'We have a popular, active LGBTQ+ community at Southern and Govia Thameslink Railway and are vocal champions of employees who identify as such, celebrating them both internally and in the media.'
SOURCE
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
'I care because I spent five years transitioning and I have all of my legal documentation. 'So whether people like it or not I am a woman…
Guess what, sir? Despite all your bodily mutilation, you are still a man. You clearly are not fooling anybody but yourself. You will not be able to resolve your identity problems until you come to grips with that fact.
Sorry to see the railway genuflect. Should have told it to sit down and shut up. I swear. Candy-ass 'persons' like this won't make it through the first thirty seconds come the revolution.
If she (he) needs sleeping pills after the trauma of being misgendered, this would be pretty good evidence that she was too mentally fragile to transition. And in case I am being accused of being insensitive, I should explain that one of my workmates decided to "become" a woman. Everyone was polite to her, but I strongly suspect that if someone called her "sir", the result would be a caustic response, not sleeping pills.
A few points:
1. As Luke said, no matter what you think entitles you to be considered a woman, no matter what genital mutilations you have undergone, you are still biologically and genetically male.
2. If people keep calling you 'Sir' your complaint is not with them - its with your surgeon who clearly did not do a convincing job of your reassignment.
3. Gentlemen stand up for women - you have just misgendered yourself!
4. Nothing in this story makes me think it deserves thousands in compensation.
My voice is soft enough over the phone to be mistaken for a woman's voice. My first name is one that could be either a man's or woman's name. Over the years, I have had numerous people, both male and female, think they were talking to a woman on the phone and refer to me as "ma'am" in the course of conversation. Big deal. I always shrug it off. No harm done.
Get over yourself lady. You don't deserve any compensation.
AIB/44
Post a Comment