Denny's Finally Lets Our Maine Trans People Pee

I wrote about the October 25, 2007 situation that occurred in an Auburn, ME Denny's restaurant in which transwoman Brianna Freeman was denied access to it by the restaurant management .   She filed a complaint in 2009 with the Maine Human Rights Commission which ruled in her favor on a 3-2 vote.

Ken Fredette, one of the Republican MHRC commisioners on the losing end of that vote successfully ran for the Maine Legislature in 2010 and authored the failed LD 1046 bill that would overturn two trans positive MHRC decisions and bar us from having the ability to sue over bathroom discrimination. 

Brianna Freeman finally got justice when Realty Resources Hospitality, the corporate owner of Denny's restaurants in the state negotiated an out of court settlement with Freeman in March and announced Monday.

It will allow bathroom access to their restaurant restrooms based on current gender presentation.  The GLAD negotiated agreement applies to all Denny's restaurants in the state of Maine and includes an undisclosed monetary settlement for Freeman.


Freeman stated the bottom line of this case is. “for me and other transgender patrons is that Denny’s has welcomed us to use the restroom that is consistent with how we live our lives.”

That means letting us transpeople pee without drama in the restroom that matches our gender presentation.  Too bad some folks are gonna have to pay some money to get that lesson through their thick heads instead of just doing the right thing.