Monday, November 16, 2009

Sierra Broussard Reaches Settlement In Wisconsin Trans Discrimination Suit

I mentioned Sierra Broussard's case in two posts a few months ago. Since the trial was scheduled to start tomorrow, I was curious to see what had transpired in the suit she filed since I last wrote about it.

This story from the Post-Crescent notes there has been a settlement reached in this case.

The 28 year old biracial transwoman appeared in Outagamie County Court on October 23 in her civil lawsuit against Concepts Unlimited Inc., which does business as the Park Central nightclub.

Broussard said she was twice denied entrance to the nightclub complex and said an employee told her if she "used either bathroom it would cause confusion for the other patrons," and that she should go to a club that caters to "her kind."

Broussard's attorney, Eric Pitsch of Appleton, said the agreement includes a judgment against Concepts Unlimited, but he is not allowed under the deal to discuss its specifics. He did state that the agreement was reached before an upcoming hearing about evidence. "I was preparing the case for trial," Pitsch said.

The judgment dismissed claims against Concepts Unlimited owners Charles A. and Lynn McCarrell, who were named in the original civil complaint.

"I feel more relief than anything," Broussard said. "I plan to take this one more step and use it as an educational tool, educate people on bias and let people know they can't discriminate."

I find it interesting that all this BS started because of the faux hysteria and concern whipped up by haters about what bathroom I or any transperson should use.

It's very simple.

If you're a transwoman, you use the women's restroom. If you're a transman, you use the men's one.

Now Wisconsin GL peeps, here's a question for you?

When are y'all gonna get around to coming back for the trans community and adding transpeople to the non-discrimination law you passed for yourselves and cut us out of back in 1982?

Hopefully, the civil suit settlement sends the message that discrimination against transpeople isn't cool.

But what will emphatically send that message is for the Wisconsin legislature to add transpeople to the existing anti-discrimination law.

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