Transsexual trucker banned from using ladies toilets

Jan 24 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

vikkirmarie gaynor

A TRANSSEXUAL truck driver claims she was prevented from using ladies toilets after she “changed gender” and dressed as a woman.

Ex-soldier Vikki-Marie Gaynor claims she was hounded out of her job after she started wearing make-up and women’s clothes.

Ms Gaynor landed her job with Excel Europe, a subsidiary of the DHL firm, through the Blue Arrow recruitment agency.

Ms Gaynor, who was born as a male and named "Michael Gaynor”, has been privately dressing as a woman for 20 years.

She is hoping to undergo a full sex change operat- ion, and told the tribunal in Liverpool her bosses were initially supportive of her becoming a woman.

But, within weeks of adopting her female persona, she began to notice attitudes towards her had changed and her shifts cancelled.

After an incident in which a fellow driver stuck his finger up at her and made obscene gestures, Ms Gaynor wrote a grievance letter.

Little was done about it, which led her to feel that her complaints had been brushed under the carpet, in order to avoid “rocking the boat”.

Line Manager for Blue Arrow, Lucy Dring, told the hearing: “A grievance letter does not always trigger a meeting. Vikki has not been treated differently to anyone else filing a complaint.”

When questioned further, Ms Dring admitted there had been a conflict between the firm’s “statutory procedures” and Ms Gaynor’s case.

Ms Gaynor is claiming sexual discrimination, breach of contract and is also making a claim under the Wages Act.

The tribunal continues.