American Eagle Changes Employee Policy to be Trans Friendly

After a battle with New York Attorney General Andrew Cumo, the clothing retail chain American Eagle has changed its policies to be more transgender friendly. According to the NY Daily News, the company is “nixing a rule about employee ‘personal appearance’ that banned men from wearing women’s clothing and ladies from dressing as guys.” The retailer has also agreed to train employees to be sensitive to transgender issues, including using preferred pronouns by transgender individuals.

Of course, anti-gay “family values” groups like the Family Research Council are starting to frame this as a policy that victimizes employers. According to a statement released today, they said:

Every American who believes in the right of employers to set dress and grooming standards for their employees should be alarmed by how this attorney general has used bullying tactics and litigation to impose cross-dressing policies on American Eagle Outfitters.

What’s most alarming is that President Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress want to expand these bullying litigation tactics to all 50 states by enacting into federal law a cross-dressing protection act. If Congress approves President Obama’s ENDA bill, employers in every state can expect to experience the same expensive, burdensome litigation that has been pursued against American Eagle Outfitters.

But as we pointed out recently, ENDA will help employees by providing other legal protections that employees already receive against discrimination based on race, gender, or religion.

Kay Steiger is the editor of CampusProgress.org.

Related Stories

• Handful of Colorado Lawmakers Stonewall Civil Unions Bill
• VIDEO: President Obama’s Announcement and What’s Next for Marriage Equality
• GRAPHIC: What Obama Said on Gay Marriage
• As North Carolina Amends Constitution to Ban Gay Marriage, Obama Speaks Out
• BREAKING: President Obama Announces Support For Gay Marriage