Wednesday June 2nd, 1999

Man sacked ’for change of sex’

Guardian staff and agencies

A computer manager was sacked after telling his employer that he wanted to be a woman, an employment tribunal in Southampton heard yesterday.

Andrew Lynall told his employers at a yachting firm that he was undergoing gender reassignment, began to dress as a woman, and asked to be called Eleanor.  Five days later he was fired from his £27,000-a-year job as head of technical services.

Mr Lynall, 47, of New Milton, Hampshire, is claiming sex discrimination and unfair dismissal against Freeman and partners, a firm of marine surveyors based in the New Forest.

He told the tribunal: ’I suffer from gender identity disorder, and during 1998 made the decision to present myself to the world as Eleanor.

’I came out to my colleagues gradually, and I gave formal notice of my intent to resort to female gender role on November 20.  I have no doubt that my change of gender role contributed to my dismissal.’

The hearing, which resumed yesterday after an adjournment, heard how Mr Lynall had sent a memo to his employer, John Freeman, informing him of his sex change.  He then altered his name to Eleanor by deed poll.

Mr Lynall is planning to have surgery to complete the process.

Mr Freeman told the tribunal that Mr Lynall was dismissed from the job because the firm got into financial trouble.

He said he held meetings with Mr Lynall about ’serious concerns’ relating to his department’s ’continuing poor results’.

’We were not getting enough work in, and the income earned was insufficient to cover our expenditure.’

Mr Lynall, who was dressed as a woman at the hearing, said Mr Freeman had made it clear to him that he would not be allowed to ’act in a female role within the company’.

The case was adjourned, and a decision is expected in late July.

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