Before the dust even had a chance to settle on the Khadijah Farmer case comes word from the Left Coast and Jasmyne Cannick's blog that the same crap happened to songwriter Tanya White at the posh Beverly Hills Hotel. The incident occurred in September 2007 while she was there with a friend attending a birthday party for actress LisaRaye McCoy. White found herself being tossed out of the women's restroom and disrespectfully called 'it' by hotel staff, then even after her gender identity was validated by her friend LaTrece Barney, was escorted off hotel property.
"I felt dehumanized, especially because no one ever asked me any questions and never asked for my I.D. To be called "it" and then forced to leave the restroom made me furious," White says. "I never want to be treated with such disrespect again because of how I choose to dress."
Tanya White is a songwriter, producer and recording artist who has written songs for Janet Jackson, Babyface, and Seal. She's hired uberattorney Gloria Allred to represent her in her fight against the Beverly Hills Hotel. She's asking for an apology and changes in hotel dress code policies, but will file the lawsuit and seek financial damages if she doesn't receive that apology.
Stay tuned, 'cause it's on like Donkey Kong now.
Once again, this points to what I and other transgender leaders have repeatedly said and warned about for over a decade. Unfortunately a certain gay congressman and a large organization that worships cash and the equal sign refuse to listen.
Any legislation such as ENDA, hate crimes or anything else that doesn't include the words 'gender or perceived gender' leaves a Mack-truck sized loophole in it that the bigots can use to do an end run and continue to discriminate against GLBT peeps.
It also leaves people like Ms. White, Khadijah Farmer and transgender peeps unprotected and exposed to the ignorance of others.
