Sex-swap woman wins case to be PC (Yorkshire Post)
Transsexual can now join police in Yorkshire Sex-swap woman wins case to be PCBy Trina McIntyre A transsexual has won the right to join West Yorkshire Police as a woman constable following an employment tribunal hearing. The woman, who had a sex-change operation in May, 1996, said yesterday that the decision had finally shown there were no “no-go” professions for transsexuals. In answer to written questions put through an intermediary to protect her identity, she said: “I hope that the Government will sit up and take notice and follow other European countries in changing the birth certificates of transsexual people so that there’s no chance of this sort of confusion arising again.” The woman, who was referred to throughout the proceedings only as ’A’, applied to join the police force in 1997 and told them from the outset that she was transsexual. Assistant Chief Constable Gregory Wilkinson initially allowed her application to be processed, but, after taking legal advice when the applicant was 14 months into the recruitment process, changed his mind.
He was told there would be a problem if the new policewoman had to conduct searches beyond outer clothing which required officers to be the same sex as the suspect as she was still registered as male on her birth certificate. But the employment tribunal, which published its decision last week after a hearing in February, ruled that by that logic no transsexual could ever be employed by the police, thus denying them the right to equal treatment. The chairman said the risk of a case being thrown out of court because a search was conducted by a transsexual was negligible, as was the risk that they could be accused of indecent assault. Claire McNab, vice-president of the transsexual campaign group Press For Change, said: “This is a victory for common sense. West Yorkshire Police accepted that ’A’ is a woman and that they wished to employ her as such.” She said it was ironic that the force found itself in such a legal tangle because it had a good equal opportunities policy and liaised well, transsexual, gay and lesbian groups. The woman, who does not live in West Yorkshire, passed all the recruitment tests she undertook, including a physical fitness test where she was assessed as a female, and said she got on well with the other recruits who did not know she was a transsexual. “As women we formed a cohesive and supportive team on the day and had lunch and chatted together in the police canteen,” she said. Asked how she would react to adverse comments she said: “There is no reason why anyone would know I am transsexual. “Police officers face verbal abuse on a daily basis. They have to react calmly and professionally at all times. As a police officer I wouldn’t be up to the job if I weren’t able to do this.” She said the police had not yet been in touch about finishing her training. A police spokesman said: “West Yorkshire police remain committed to serving the whole community regardless of sexual orientation or racial origin and we are keen this is reflected in the make-up of the force. “We will study the tribunal findings and the implications for the force.” Copyright © 1999 Yorkshire Post Newspapers | |||||||||
