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365Gay.com
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Case
Likely To Test Effectiveness
Of
Washington LGBT Civil Rights Law
From the
Web, September 10, 2007
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Seattle, Washington -- The
ejection of two transsexual men from a mall washroom is expected to be the first
major test of Washington state's LGBT civil rights law.
Simon Adriane and Sean Brochin are expected to file an official complaint this
week with the human rights commission.
Born biologically female the two have transitioned and were attending the Gender
Odyssey Conference in Seattle this month. The pair had gone to a movie at
Pacific Place Mall downtown and stopped to use the washroom on the way out of
the mall.
When they entered the men's room a male protested.
"He was screaming 'you're a woman, you can't be in here!'" Adriane told KOMO-television.
Adriane said she tried to calm the man, saying "I'm not a girl, I'm just here to
pee."
But the customer called security and both Adriane and Brochin were ejected from
the mall.
The removal of the men from the washroom led to dozens of people who were
attending the conference to stage what they called a "pee-in."
A mall spokesperson said it has never before had a situation involving
transsexuals and that it would review its procedures.
The statewide civil rights law to include the LGBT community went into effect in
June 2006, making Washington at the time the 17th state with laws protecting
gays and lesbians, and the seventh to protect transgender people.
The law bans discrimination in housing, employment, insurance and credit.
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