Transgendered Woman Banned Supermarket For Urinating While Standing

Transgendered Woman Banned Supermarket For Urinating While Standing

Transgendered Woman Banned from Supermarket

Ally Robledo, a 25 year old transgendered woman, has been cited and banned from a Rosauers Supermarket in Salem, Idaho for one year. The reason for Robledo’s ban from the supermarket chain is due to her use of the women’s restroom.

The issue arose when other customers of the supermarket complained about feeling uncomfortable.

The store’s security personal had been receiving complaints about an individual who was urinating while standing up in the women’s restroom. The supermarket pressed charges against Robledo for trespassing, Lewiston Police Captain Roger Lanier said.

“The store security officer said he had been dealing with a problem over a couple days with the person going into the women’s restroom and urinating while standing up,” Lanier said.

Robledo, who has stated that she identifies as a female, feels that she has been discriminated against by the supermarket. She stated “Getting the no trespassing order for a public restroom was really painful.” There are twelve states that have laws protecting the employment, housing and public accommodations rights of transgendered people. Unfortunately for her, the state of Idaho is not one of them.

Rodledo said that living as a transgender is a struggle

“I’m struggling here in this rural community as a transgender. Now I feel even more vulnerable,” she said.

Ilona Turner, legal director of Transgender Law Center in San Francisco, said it was discriminatory to prevent transgender people from using the same facilities as everyone else.
“Transgender people have the same needs and deserve the same access to public stores and facilities as others without discrimination based on who they are. They just need to go to the bathroom like everyone else,” she told Reuters by email.

The police arrested Rodledo pursuant to an Idaho law that gives owners of a property the right to deny access. Police did not address the transgendered issue. They instead made the arrest due to the trespassing charges.

“Society has yet to define exactly what makes a transgender. Far be it from a police department in Idaho to try to define that,” he said.

On The Web:

Transgender woman banned from Idaho grocery store over restroom use
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/13/17733363-transgender-woman-banned-from-idaho-grocery-store-over-restroom-use?lite

Transgender woman charged with trespassing, banned from Idaho supermarket for using women’s bathroom
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/transgender-woman-banned-idaho-store-women-restroom-article-1.1315827#ixzz2QRc0SybX

Transgender woman banned from Idaho store over use of restroom
http://news.yahoo.com/transgender-woman-banned-idaho-store-over-restroom-034559179.html