Puget Sound blood bank sued by transgender woman
SEATTLE (AP) - A transgender woman has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against a Seattle-based blood bank, saying she was fired after changing her donor profile to female to match her reissued birth certificate.
In the lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District court in Tacoma, Stephanie Binschus alleges Bloodworks Northwest treated her differently than other employees even though she made sure the company was fully aware of her transition.
A long-time donor to the organization formerly known as the Puget Sound Blood Center before her transition and before becoming an employee, Binschus was accused of falsifying her donor record after the organization changed its policy on gender identification, according to her attorney, Jillian T. Weiss.
"I think It's important for employers to understand that a transgender woman is a woman. Whatever they may have been thinking about who she is, according to the state of Washington, she is a female," Weiss said. "To be fired because she says so is a violation."
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Puget-Sound-blood-bank-sued-by-transgender-woman-323695191.html
