After McDonald’s denied her a job interview at the International Drive location, Zikerria Bellamy filed a complaint with the national Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. Bellamy, who is transgender, also received a derogatory phone message from a local hiring manager. Based on both incidents, TLDEF has filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations.
In early July, Bellamy applied for the job online at the McDonald’s job site. On Tuesday, July 28, she received a voicemail from an unidentified manager of the tourist-oriented location: “It doesn’t matter how many times you go down there,” the message said. “You will not get hired. We do not hire faggots.”
Florida currently does not have specific nondiscrimination coverage for transgender people. However, precedence has been set several times in the recent past; state agencies have ruled that transgender people are protected by the Florida Human Rights Act’s prohibitions on sex and disability discrimination.
According to a November survey by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality, Bellamy’s treatment is not an uncommon occurrence. A full 47% of transgender people report being fired or denied a job or promotion.
In the past, McDonald’s has possessed an exemplary record with diversity, scoring an impressive 85 out of a possible 100 in the recently released 2010 Human Rights Council’s Buying Guide. However, McDonald’s does not currently have a non-discrimination policy that covers transgender people or gender expression.
It’s also not the first time in recent history that the corporation has had an LGBT complaint lodged against it. In July of 2008, McDonald’s employees and managers in Louisville, Kentucky, harassed a group of customers with anti-gay slurs and epithets. Nine months later, the American Civil Liberties Union announced that McDonald’s has agreed to a cash settlement and diversity training for management at 30 of its Louisville-area restaurants.
At press time, McDonald’s had not yet commented on the Bellamy case.
