Washington state, Seattle Area
This is the letter I sent out to the Ingersoll Gender Center and the Equal Employment Opportunity Center. I work in aerospace manufacturing:
I feel like I'm being discriminated against in my workplace for my gender expressions. My workplace has claimed that the yoga pants I wear are “too revealing” and that “men have parts that show that women don't” (even though there's nothing in the dress code that specifically states this) and that the 4″ heels I wear are against safety rules (once again nothing in the dress code that mentions heels).
What makes me think that this is gender discrimination is that in the past 6 months I have been dressing in more “femme” clothes. I had a verbal discussion with the safety coordinator about this and believe that it is, in fact, her bigotry and intolerance that is behind this selective enforcement. It's also worth mentioning that I've been presenting myself as more feminine at the work place: make up, girly colors (pinks, purples, flowery imagery, ect) and wearing my hair in a side part as opposed to a traditionally masculine low pony tail; all as a means to embrace my genderfluid expression. Also worth mentioning that up until now I haven't felt the need to officially come out to my HR department as genderfluid as my workplace up until this incident has been a very welcoming and accepting environment.
What I'm asking for is advice on what to do next. My intuition feels that this is gender discrimination. I feel like I'm not getting the advocacy I deserve as a gender non-conforming person, but I don't know what to do to change that.
Any advice you could lend me would be very helpful.