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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

HR make women leave halloween party for dressing too male, "triggering" transwoman colleague

55 replies

wigglybluelines · 29/10/2019 11:40

I saw this post on Reddit. This is another level. I can well imagine a TW would get upset by this, that's not surprising. It's that any HR professionals are indulging this bonkers behaviour that has me Shock

I'm 26/F. Yesterday my job had a halloween party that I looked forward to.

I dressed up as Harvey Two Face, spent half an hour having half my face done with makeup, etc. I didn't go as a female Harvey Two face with a feminized outfit, etc... I went as the male Harvey Two face wearing a men's suit (my boyfriend helped me pick one out), men's shoes, etc.

Everyone loved the costume and for the first hour or so things were fine. Two of my male coworkers also showed up in gender bending costumes (one was Captain Marvel in a body suit with a wig, the other came as Harley Quinn in a skirt). Overall everyone had a good time.

Then my coworker who is a transwoman (let's call her Sarah) got to the party. I've never had an issue with her and as far as I know no one at work has given her a problem (although I'm not HR so I can't know that for sure).

A bit after she showed up HR pulled me to the side along with my trans coworker and told me that it would be best if I left because my costume was offensive and triggering to Sarah.

I asked what she meant and Sarah told me that me being a woman and dressing as a man is triggering to her, because people still know I'm a woman, but if she were to dress as a male character people would doubt her womanhood because she's trans.

I told her that I don't understand and that there are other people here (the two guys) who are in gender bending costumes, and she said it wasn't about them and that I am the one who is triggering because I have "cis female privilege". She also said that for all she knows the two guys might have trans feelings they aren't ready to come out about, so it isn't her place to tell them that they can't dress feminine.

I told her that she is assuming things about me that she isn't about them and that I don't mean any harm, but I like my costume. At that point HR told me she can't make me leave, but that Sarah had been crying in the bathroom earlier and that it would mean a lot if I just left for the night.

So I said my goodbyes and left, but I cried in the Uber home. I was having a good time. I didn't mean to hurt anyone with my costume, but I don't understand why being a female means that I had to leave, while the guys were free to wear their feminine costumes.

AITA for feeling this way? AITA for showing up in a costume without thinking about transwomen? I'm confused.

There's another party a friend is having tonight, but I don't know if I even want to go because I don't want to upset trans people.

I'm still dealing with this as it happened last night, but now I'm upset that I'm being censored on reddit. From what people who have PM'd me have said, they knew my post would get removed because reddit doesn't allow anyone (especially women) to say anything about trans people (specifically trans women).

I just think it's wrong that I was made to leave the party while the two men who cross dressed were allowed to stay. I don't get it.

What's next? Women won't be allowed to wear pants because it will trigger transwomen? After that? What if women existing triggers transwomen? Where does it stop? Why do her feelings matter more than mine?

Reddit thread here: It seems like a lot of transwomen hate cis women just for existing and reddit doesn't want people talking about it. I was recently a victim of this

It includes info about how Reddit initially deleted her post and also follow up that she's contacting a lawyer and that one of the guys who was crossdressed contacted her after to say he's outraged at what happened to her and left in protest.

I really hope she sues.

OP posts:
IfYouSaySoDear · 29/10/2019 19:12

Sceptical here, too:

I work for Woke Ltd, a multinational with a dedicated gender identity policy spanning over 50 countries (yes, including Saudi Arabia - always secretly wondered hownit went down with colleagues there), plus I'm senior management, i.e. a supposed role model expected to go along with any and all of HR's flights of fancy in terms of diversity points scoring. I was a diversity hire (OMFG, actual real-life human female) back when I started and don't even figure in the stats any longer although I'm still very much the sole female leader in my domain.

And yet, although my HR dept may be woke to the point of it bordering on satire, they'd react to this one with a decided "WTAF, didn't they tell you the booze was on the firm tonight? Fuck off unless you're volunteering to fetch me anotuer G&T".

I'm all for making the implications visible ... but, like PP, I'm doubtful.

RadicalFern · 29/10/2019 21:02

I can believe the Redditor's reaction - I get very upset at any sort of conflict or being in trouble. I can hold it together fine while it's happening but get very wobbly afterwards. Also, I'd certainly be angry and also shaken up at having been rebuked and then coerced/emotionally blackmailed into leaving a fancy dress party because of my fancy dress.

Pota2 · 29/10/2019 21:40

Nah, I don’t buy this one. Way too many convenient things- the men who might secretly be trans, the cis privilege, the crying in the toilets, the earnest questioning whether this is normal. But nice try, Reddit user.

DerRosenKavalier · 30/10/2019 08:06

I went as the male Harvey Two face wearing a men's suit (my boyfriend helped me pick one out)

It's this little detail which makes me think it's fake.

Why does an adult woman need her boyfriend to help her select a pair of masculine looking trousers and a masculine looking acket?

And picked out from where? A men's shop? I don't believe anyone would buy a new suit for this. From his own wardrobe-it's pretty unlikely really given the difference in body shapes that he would have a suit which fits her. It's over- egging the story.

eBooksAreBooks · 30/10/2019 16:27

/r/thatneverhappened/ Is where that belongs.

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