http://www.monicahelms.com/blog/tava/who%e2%80%99s-being-affected-by-employment-discrimination.htm Going where no blog has gone before. Fri, 21 May 2010 00:53:03 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.monicahelms.com/blog/tava/who%e2%80%99s-being-affected-by-employment-discrimination.htm/comment-page-1#comment-46 Jillian Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:23:43 +0000 http://www.monicahelms.com/blog/uncategorized/who%e2%80%99s-being-affected-by-employment-discrimination.htm#comment-46 So true, Monica. The effects of job discrimination are so horrific, and it's impossible to understand until you've been through it. It seems that along with transitioning from male to female, I transitioned from attorney to secretary, and I counted myself very lucky indeed to have any sort of job, and to be able to see my son without having a court revoke my visitation. As a lawyer, and now a professor of law, one thing I think we must all remember is that this is a two-front war. We need legal protection, but laws on the books don't translate into jobs in reality, and it is very time-consuming and emotionally draining to bring a lawsuit, especially in unsympathetic courts looking to deny relief on any grounds possible. We also need to change the culture of business to one that's friendly to trans people. Job fairs and employer training are a step in that direction. So true, Monica. The effects of job discrimination are so horrific, and it’s impossible to understand until you’ve been through it. It seems that along with transitioning from male to female, I transitioned from attorney to secretary, and I counted myself very lucky indeed to have any sort of job, and to be able to see my son without having a court revoke my visitation. As a lawyer, and now a professor of law, one thing I think we must all remember is that this is a two-front war. We need legal protection, but laws on the books don’t translate into jobs in reality, and it is very time-consuming and emotionally draining to bring a lawsuit, especially in unsympathetic courts looking to deny relief on any grounds possible. We also need to change the culture of business to one that’s friendly to trans people. Job fairs and employer training are a step in that direction.

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