A biological male who claims to be female sued Macy’s Inc., on Thursday, alleging “unfair treatment and humiliation” at a Torrance store including verbal abuse, being thrown out of the women’s restroom and ridicule from management and co-
workers while employed there.
Jason “Jazz” Araquel, 21, described by his attorney as a preoperative male-to-female transgender individual, is also suing for wrongful termination.
Macy’s officials were not available for comment, but attorney Eric E. Castelblanco said the company fired his client for insubordination and use of foul language.
Araquel cited three years of alleged sex gender humiliation, harassment, discrimination, intimidation, coercion and emotional distress while working in the cosmetics department at Macy’s in Del Amo Fashion Center.
Castelblanco said his client’s sexual status was known to store management when Araquel was initially employed in a part-time capacity in November 2006 and became a full-time employee in March 2008 through Sept. 1, 2009, before he was terminated.
Araquel also alleges he was required to do work assignments not in a job description and was held to a stricter standard, Castelblanco said.
“Given the sensitive nature and impact of the decision by any individual to change their sex physically, psychologically and emotionally, it is abhorrent that Macy’s allowed her to be humiliated and harassed by other employees while also contributing to her pain and
suffering through its ongoing unfair treatment of her and then termination,” the lawyer said.
from The Press Telegram

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Harvey Milk

KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA – A Kern High School District trustee wants to say no to Harvey Milk and yes to Ronald Reagan.
Trustee Ken Mettler, who is also running in the 32nd Assembly District Republican primary, will ask his board colleagues at a Monday meeting to adopt a policy discouraging schools from celebrating Harvey Milk Day May 22, which honors one of the first openly gay men elected to public office in California.
He will also ask trustees to support a state Senate bill establishing Ronald Reagan Day, which would fall on Feb. 6.
“This is something I truly believe in, and the timing makes sense,” Mettler said Thursday. “Harvey Milk does not rise to that level of recognition. These days should be reserved for those who have had a major impact.”
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Harvey Milk Day into law last Oct. 12. Milk served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors before being assassinated in 1978. Harvey Milk Day this year falls on a Saturday.
The Reagan bill has cleared the state Senate; it now sits in the Assembly.
Under the legislation, schools are “encouraged” — not required — to conduct exercises commemorating both men. Mettler’s proposal says KHSD will encourage schools and staff to commemorate Reagan. But with Milk, KHSD “will not conduct such exercises, nor encourage or require its schools or their staffs to conduct such exercises.”
Mettler argued that Milk served less than a year as a supervisor and did not sponsor any meaningful ordinances while on the job.
Whitney Weddell, a local gay-rights activist and high school teacher, said Mettler is “looking for a way to solidify conservative credentials.”
“It’s an election stunt,” she said.
Educators have a difficult time fitting in celebrations or holidays in the school year because of curriculum standards that must be met, she said. And with May being a busy time of year on campuses with testing and graduation preparation, assemblies for Milk would be unlikely. Discussions, she said, would only take place if students had questions.
“I think they’re making a mountain out of a molehill,” Weddell said. “There’s already a million different days we’re supposed to commemorate. We’re worried about math and English and history.”
Introducing the proposals to the board, Mettler said, is not a political move. Mettler said he is encouraging school districts throughout Kern County to support Ronald Reagan Day legislation.
Trustee Bill Perry said he has no objection to supporting the Reagan bill. He said he would abstain from voting on the Milk issue.
“(Reagan) was a president. You want to honor him, go ahead and honor him,” Perry said. “The other one is controversial and I think I want to leave it alone. That one I would rather not waste our time on.”
School board President Joel Heinrichs and Trustee Bryan Batey could not be reached for comment. A KHSD spokesman did not wish to comment.
Board members can ask the superintendent to introduce policy to school board agendas. It must go through an open meeting “first reading,” as is the case here, where discussion can take place. They could address both items again, and possibly vote on them, at a May 12 meeting, Mettler said.
The KHSD board is no stranger to controversial proposals. In 2007 it agreed to put the phrase “In God We Trust” in every district classroom, with much debate. The then-board President Bob Hampton said spirituality should remain in the home and church and out of the public education system.
Trustee Chad Vegas said Mettler discussed the Milk proposal last year when discussions were taking place statewide. Both said they should prevent Milk from being celebrated in KHSD schools.
California, Vegas said, should not be “cramming” this celebration “down our throats.”
“I don’t want to bring the homosexual agenda into our schools,” Vegas said. “I don’t believe Harvey Milk is someone that should be celebrated.”
As for Ronald Reagan Day: “He was a very good president at a time of national and worldwide crisis.”
Vegas said if Mettler did not introduce the Milk proposal, he would have.
Another resolution on Monday’s agenda that probably won’t receive as much attention: proclaiming May 12 “Day of the Teacher.”
from Bakersfield .com