Make the Road New York, the New York City workers rights group, has scored another victory with clothier American Eagle Outfitters. After public demands earlier this year that retailers like J. Crew update their hiring policies to include non-discrimination orders, they helped push Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to secure trans-friendly policies at AE.
No longer can American Eagle — which has 61 stores and 2,000 employees in New York — require men and women to wear gender-specific clothing.
“To avoid further expense and the distraction of a prolonged argument, [we have] agreed to a compromise settlement in this case, with the understanding that AEO is not admitting to the findings,” a company spokeswoman said. “We wholeheartedly believe that transgender individuals should be treated equally,” she added in a statement. The chain store also has agreed to train its staff on transgender issues – like which pronouns to use when referring to workers and customers.
Unfortunately there’s nothing the attorney general’s office can do to force American Eagle to stop trying to be Abercrombie & Fitch.
Miss Understood
No one in America (including New York City) is as discriminated against in the job market than transgender people. In Bangkok, where transgender people are far more integrated into the culture, it is very common to spot trannies in everyday work places: The airport, the bank, the mall, fast food joints, etc. In New York it’s generally clubs and funky clothing stores. I can cont on my fingers the incidents that I noticed a trannie working in an everyday place. It’s obscene that people think it’s acceptable to deny someone the opportunity to work simply because of who they are.
DEREK WASHINGTON
There’s 61 AE stores in NY?
Blech.
I never get the thinking behind not hiring Transgender folks. As long as someone is a good worker and professionally presented what do I care?
kevwyn
as a former manager for AEO, I was unable to hire trans employees due to that former rule. When this was questioned to my superiors,I was told they legally are signing thier identity on the paperwork as a specific gender,so they will have to adhere to the gender. I am glad that after 10 years this has finally gotten the attention it needed.It all came down to image in my opinion,The company was so fixated on matching the marketing package of that other store,Young,fit and college age hetero sexy,that it was truly alienating a large portion of its customer base. And lets face it,who, but a young trans man looks good in thier polos and cargo shorts. Sad that they chose to yeild due to costly litigation,than doing the right thing all along