Transgendered Woman Can't Use Loehmann's Dressing Room

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Brooklyn resident Jane Galla has flied a complaint against discounter Loehmann's citing discrimination. Galla, a transgendered woman for over three years, said that when she tried to try on some "casual tops for the summer and spring season," employees refused to let her into the fitting room. (WCBS says Galla wanted to use a communal dressing room, but seemed to imply that she was banned from all women's fitting rooms.) Galla, who says she's a regular Loehmann's shopper, said, "I felt humiliated when I was publicly told to use the men's fitting room."

WCBS notes that there is a city law that allows transgendered people to use facilities "consistent with their gender." Also, Galla, who happens to be a steel guitarist, said that Loehmann's employees have been rude to her on a previous visit. Galla wants Loehmann's to adopt a transgender policy and provide employee training.

and just to make this post more interesting, here are the comments from the blog this article was copied from




The story doesn't say whether she was seeking entrance to the open or individual dressing rooms. Does anyone know which she wanted to use? I mean no offense to transgendered individuals; I know that they face a lot of personal issues, particularly with discrimination. On the other hand, it's a much more complicated (and a different) issue if she wanted to use the open fitting room where a dozen women at a time are stripping down and trying on clothing.

[1] Posted by: question | December 19, 2006 2:55 PM

The articles said she wanted to use the fitting room with the private stalls. She'd probably feel just as uncomfortable in the open fitting room as any of the other women might. Sounds like she just wanted to try her clothes on in privacy and do her shopping.

[2] Posted by: Answer | December 19, 2006 3:59 PM

Wait, why is there a difference depending on what type of dressing room she wanted to use? She's at Loehman's to buy clothes, not oggle customers.

I assume the fear is that, because she is transgender (ie was born biologically male) she is somehow a threat to the other women in the dressing room because she's "really" a guy. But she's not a guy and gender and sexual orientation are not at all the same thing. She could be a transwoman and straight (ie attracted to guys) or she could be a transwoman and gay (ie attracted to women). We don't ban gay men from changing in men's rooms or gay women from using women's rooms. Why is this different?

If she's like a lot of transpeople, she probably would prefer to use an individual stall to change because it's safer (for her). But the fact remains that she just another lady at Loehmann's looking to buy some clothes so they should just let her alone and let her shop.

[3] Posted by: a start to an answer | December 19, 2006 4:01 PM

Call me old fashioned, but if you've got a dick, you're a guy.

[4] Posted by: Joey Joe Joe | December 19, 2006 4:03 PM

All Loehmann's dressing rooms are communal!

[5] Posted by: Jill | December 19, 2006 4:16 PM

A five seconds after they let him/her into the Women's Room some woman is going to file a lawsuit.

[6] Posted by: we don't see a dime until you see three dimes | December 19, 2006 4:46 PM

while this individual might be honest and single stalls should be fine, there's an obvious difference, #3, because any pervert could easily walk in, claim to be the opposite gender and oggle away. don't think that's a realistic possibility? look at all the locker-room/changing-room cam projects on the web. if they let anyone in, how can they protect the privacy of the majority?

[7] Posted by: shopper | December 19, 2006 4:53 PM

you have to remember that it could make all the other women in the communal dressing room uncomfortable. should the transgendered person have the right to make others feel uncomfortable? if the person is in a room with 5 other women, these other women have the right not to feel uncomfortable when undressing. if you propose to let the transgendered with male genetalia change in a woman's dressing room, then what is the purpose of separating the dressing rooms by sexes? we should then all undress together, male and female.

i sympathize with the transgendered, but not at the expense of making others feel uncomfortable in a situation like this. i think it is different if using a bathroom stall, with a closed door.

[8] Posted by: mo | December 19, 2006 4:54 PM

Mo: My mother and I both have very noticible and potentially disturbing scars on our torsos. Should we refrain from using communal fitting rooms to spare others'?

My mom had a double mastectomy. Does her lack of secondary sexual characteristics make her inelligible?

[9] Posted by: Red Stapler | December 19, 2006 5:18 PM

no boobs - no shoes - no service

[10] Posted by: scuds | December 19, 2006 5:33 PM

stupid comment #9. based on your comment, then i wouldn't agree with flat chested women using a communal dressing room or women who have had any surgery; something i would never advocate. you should be able to see the difference.

[11] Posted by: mo | December 19, 2006 5:47 PM

What next? I mean, if one's afraid of being ogled, what's to stop women from ogling other women? Women can be just as perverted as men.

Also, there are women out there who aren't transgender and who aren't gay, who could be mistaken for a male. Are we going to keep them out too?

I don't know how obvious it is that this woman is transgender, but to keep it simple, if a woman (transgender or not) can prove she's a woman by providing a valid ID, she should be allowed to use the ladies' room or the ladies' fitting room.

If she (or any other woman) behaves badly, then she should be made to leave and banned. But perfectly everyday activities, like trying on a few tops or using the toilet without bothering anyone should be allowed.

[12] Posted by: carolitajohnson | December 19, 2006 8:12 PM

In the 'good old days', the offended party would just make a stink and leave the store. Don't like the policy, don't shop there and make sure to tell all your friends. End of story.

These fucking lawsuits are crippling the country and there is no end in sight to this madness. The poster who pointed out that the moment this guy/girl/whatever entered the women's dressing room, some customer inevitably would have filed her own lawsuit has it exactly right.

Let the transgendered person sue, and let's hope to god that the court throws the suit out on its ass.

We need to combat friviolous lawsuits with stiff financial penalties. Go see a fucking therapist and give the rest of us a break.

[13] Posted by: anonymass | December 19, 2006 10:39 PM

[gieric]

i want to know what being a " steel guitarist" has to do with it.

[hairyarmpitlover]

Nearly the same happened some weeks ago IN the Italian Parlament when a TS politician by the name of Vladimir Lussuria was dragged out of the Ladies Restroom