Issues of gender and sexuality have become such debated topics over the generations. In the book Stone Butch Blues, Leslie Feinberg engages in the discussion about gays, lesbians, transgenders, and heterosexuals.
Leslie examines the challenges facing them such as harassment from the police, religious discrimination of lesbians and gays, harassment at workplaces which at times includes loss of employment, and exclusion from the society, mentioning but a few and all because of their sexuality. In her book, Feinberg explores the issues affecting transgenders in the society as they struggle to lead a normal life free of controversies.
Feinberg’s book
There is the issue of whether butches can supplant men’s legitimate position in the society especially in households. There are two contrasting views to this statement. On one hand, traditionally, the transgenders have never assumed the authority held by men in the society and on the other hand, there is the issue that arises in a situation comprising of families composed of two transgenders.
In such vicinity, one finds that that it is quite hard to determine the figurative authority unless there is some sort of agreement. Leslie’s book argues that it is quite impossible for a woman possessing male sexual organs to fully function to act as man in relation to men’s way of thinking and behavioral patterns.
Transgenders can therefore never assume the role of men in the society. In Feinberg’s book, the butch females are illustrated as trying to manipulate men so as to solidify their unity as transgenders but their manipulation does not go far.
In relation to the world of gays, the author states that most gays are actually transgenders. Feinberg states that lesbians have a tradition of resisting the male dominancy by use of their looks and fashion trends. They also use these elements to reveal their sexuality to other women. The protagonist in the book is called Jess, and despite having to struggle with split personalities of being both a man and a woman (Feinberg 32), she achieves much success in life mostly because of her attractiveness.
Both men and women admired her and this gives her some sort of dominance over them. Her dress code also made her look classy. The book elaborates several escapades that occur in Greenwich Village especially in the local bars where Jess has had several experiences as a butch female including the admiration she got from the lesbians.
The lesbians were considered immature and inferior to the transgenders due to the fact that they never accepted their place in the society and pretended to be men in the society. This is best illustrated by Jess, who after learning to control herself and getting over her oligarchy and fear, she is illustrated as commanding great respect from the gays and heterosexuals. She fights to assume her own identity as a heterosexual and does not approve being referred to as a lesbian (Feinberg 151).
Conclusion
Gender and sexual debates can never reach a reasonable solution as many debaters can only agree to disagree that transgenders are now a part of the community. Despite Leslie discussing the gays and butch females as well as the challenges facing them, it is evident from the book that transgenders are showing more solidarity within the community.
However, transgenders cannot live as men, each one of them does have significance within the society. As more transgenders are born into the society, the debates continue in light of establishing their role within the society.
Work Cited
Feinberg, Leslie. Stone butch blues: a novel. Los Angeles, CA: Alyson Books, 2003.
Transgender issues in the workplace gain significant recognition and provoke a number of discussions. Modern employees aim to establish strong and authentic relationships, which makes them disclose some personal issues. However, not all individuals are ready to accept such facts as someone’s transgender history. As a result, companies have to develop clear policies and make sure no issues remain unsolved. In the case under consideration, Egan Woodward did not get a job at A&E Tire because the company learned that he was transgender (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2019).
Although the organization did not consider his transgender factor as the main reason for their rejection, another person was invited to this position. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) settled the lawsuit, using such backgrounds as sex stereotypes, gender inequality, and discrimination. The ramifications for the organization included the necessity to pay $60,000 to Woodward, announce an apology, and improve their employment policies. The experience of the EEOC and the A&E Tire vs. Woodward case showed that despite the intentions to promote equality in American society, there are still many ambiguous issues and controversies to be solved.
EEOC Functions
In a world where many debates and discontent about discrimination and inequality occur, such organizations like the EEOC play an important role. Their functions include the enforcement of federal laws and the protection of employees against discrimination because of the color of the skin, age, gender, or sexual orientation. The representatives of the EEOC are able to investigate each case of discrimination in different organizations using the law and the intentions of people to leave in an equal society. If the EEOC cannot find enough evidence or does not have access to information of a case, there is the authority that can file a lawsuit and support people who face employment challenges.
As soon as a lawsuit is filed, the EEOC has to make sure that the evidence is strong enough, the issues are clear, and the impact is recognizable. The task of this organization is to use an example of one person or one company and contribute to the improvements in the workplaces from the national perspective. Leadership, guidance, and recommendations for equal employment are the major aspects of EEOC work.
EEOC Role
Several years ago, Egan Woodward applied to a managerial position at A&E Tire. The company searched for new experienced employees, and Woodward met several important requirements. After being interviewed, he got an offer from the company but had to pass several screenings and drug tests to obtain a final decision (Hindi, 2019). Overall impressions about the person and the company were good because both parties were satisfied with the exchanged information.
Then, the transgender background Woodward was revealed, and he confessed that he was born as a female. The company and its manager Derrick Haight did not demonstrate the same level of interest in hiring Woodward as they had had before. The man did not get a job, and when the EEOC learned about this case, and used Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to settle the lawsuit against the company (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2019). The EEOC’s role in this lawsuit was to prove the act of discrimination against transgender employees and the presence of sex stereotypes in the company.
The representatives of the EEOC took this case to check if the company broke the law and what the true causes of not hiring Woodward were. In the District of Colorado, the lawsuit was filed in order to seek monetary and injunctive relief (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2019).
The district court was introduced to several important facts about the application situation, and it was proved that Woodward was not hired because he did not conform to certain sex stereotypes (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2019). According to the Civil Rights Act, companies should not employ or not employ individuals because of their sex. There was enough evidence to show intolerance of A&E Tire in sex discrimination.
Social Change
The chosen lawsuit promotes significant social change in the United States. Firstly, it shows that the country continues improving the discrimination situation. Many attempts have already been made to promote equality in society, schools, and workplaces. However, some individuals and organizations still demonstrate their intolerance to this issue. Secondly, the actions of the EEOC and federal law representatives are directed to support minorities and protect their rights.
Finally, the case proves that employment and working conditions have to be elaborated to avoid misunderstandings and such confusing situations when people are discriminated against because of their race, gender, ages, origins, and orientations. Therefore, a major shift is observed in the intention to create similar employment opportunities and policies in all American companies.
Press Release vs. News
The situation experienced by Woodward was mentioned and described not only in the EEOC press release but also in several local newspapers. For example, the Denver Post devoted several articles where this case was analyzed. In 2017, there was an article about the concerns of Woodward about his inability to work at A&E Tire because of his transgender past. In 2019, the lawsuit and the contributions of the EEOC were explained. Hindi (2019) focused on this situation and mentioned its background to inform the reader about the core problem.
Compared to the EEOC press release, Hindi (2019) added several details about the position that Woodward wanted to get at A&E Tire, the interview, and the outcomes that were achieved. At the same time, Hindi (2019) did not mention the legal aspects of the case and did not name Title VII and the Civil Rights Act as the main reasons for concerns. The goal of Hindi was to describe an overall conflict between Woodward and A&E Tire, thus the EEOC paid attention to its legal side and further improvements.
Implementation Strategies
If I were a senior manager of A&E Tire, I would implement several important strategies to ensure future compliance and inclusion in the multicultural workplace. For example, it is possible to add a gender identity point in an application form, so all the employees are aware of this possibility. Employees of a company have to improve their knowledge about discrimination and civil rights for US citizens and make sure to follow them in order not to break the law. Finally, applicants should be informed about health insurance conditions and working terms of the company to check if they can work here.
Conclusion
The situation at A&E Tire and the necessity to pay $60,000 because of sex-based employment discrimination show that not all American communities and organizations are ready to accept transgenders with their specific needs, histories, and conditions. Americans should have access to equal employment opportunities, but there are many unclear and not properly identified items to be further discussed. To avoid complications related to gender-based discrimination, companies must develop clear and definite policies and continue improving their awareness of social changes, psychological and physiological needs, and other personal issues that may determine employee relationships.