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Macy's Worker Bars Transgender Shopper From Changing Room

Says she was fired over incident

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 9, 2011 12:34 PM CST

(Newser) – An employee at a Texas Macy's says she was let go after she told a transgender shopper she couldn't use the women's changing area. Natalie Johnson noticed a teen she thought was male shopping for women's clothing. When the customer headed to the women's dressing rooms, Johnson, who says her religion doesn't recognize transgender people, stopped her. "I had to just be straightforward and tell him, ‘You’re a man,’ and of course that really got him steamed," she says.

The teen's friends told Johnson that Macy's lets transgender customers use the changing rooms for whichever gender they identify with, ABC News reports. "I refuse to comply with this policy," Johnson says. "There are no transgenders in the world. A guy can dress up as a woman all he wants. That’s still not going to make you a woman." And "if you’re a man going into the women’s fitting room, I will kindly escort you to the men’s fitting room.” Click through for a chat with Johnson.

A Texas woman told a transgender shopper she couldn't use the women's changing rooms.
A Texas woman told a transgender shopper she couldn't use the women's changing rooms.   (Michael Perez/AP Images for Macy's)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 67 comments
Fondue
Dec 11, 2011 3:07 PM CST
"Natalie" looks more like a man than the teenager probably does. What religion allows followers to pass judgement on people's gender? No wait, don't tell me...it's a Judeo-Christian-Islamic faith, yes?
sacredblasphemies
Dec 11, 2011 1:25 PM CST
Your bigoted ignorant religion may not "recognize transgenders", but that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. It's in the DSM-IV. It exists. If your religion prevents you from respecting other people and being compassionate, then it's against the teachings of Jesus. If your religion prevents you from doing your job, perhaps you should get a different job. I suggest working at Chick-Fil-A. They seem to have no issue with anti-LGBT bigots such as yourself.
lvan
Dec 11, 2011 8:37 AM CST
This might be totally of base but women dress up as men and use mens bathrooms. That don't seem to raise many skirts.

 
Texas • shopping • transgender • Macy's • LGBT

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