Trans Woman Booted From Country Club

[davidinalameda]

Rachael Gieschen's membership to a Wrightsville Beach, N.C., club has been canceled by the board of directors, even though her family founded the organization in 1898.

Gieschen, now 69, began her transition from male to female in 2007. Despite notifying the board of directors of her decision in 2008 (to which she received no response), Star Newsreports that "no one at the club spoke to her, and she was snubbed by people she considered family and friends most of her life."

In 2009, Geischen received a letter from the board of directors suggesting that she resign from the club. They explained members of the club were uncomfortable during her visit. The board also addressed bathrooms, a common point of tension for transgender people: “Other members' comments support the conclusion that, although you are now a woman, members will be uncomfortable regardless of which locker rooms or rest rooms you use. In view of the physical limitations of the club, we do not see how this problem can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.”

The board invited Gieschen to discuss the issue in person but barred her therapist from attending to explain the situation. Afterward, the board informed Gieschen that her membership had been canceled with all paid dues for the upcoming term refunded. As Geishen stated, "I was just kicked out and asked to leave."

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/07/15/Transgender_Woman_Kicked_Out_of_Country_Club/

[Angry Dragon]

1. I just love bigots

These people seem to have very open minds, wanting to stretch them every day........

[tbyg52]

2. To abandon someone they have known all their lives - disgusting. nt

[LostinVA]

3. Having lived there, I just want to comment

Alot of these folks are rich "Yankees."

[iris27]

4. God - do not make the mistake of

reading the comments after that article. Horrifying.

[HillWilliam]

5. Pleas to G'd tell me

those weren't GLB people writing those gawdawful comments. The Advocate isn't even a pale shadow of what it started out to be years ago, but dayyum! I didn't think it had slid down the sewer-pipe this far.

Again, dayyum.

[Orsino]

6. The country club is a rather vile tradition itself.

That it's a cofactor in other vile traditions shouldn't surprise us, I guess. Hope this one isn't too powerful to be shamed into backing down.