Salvos facing charges for rejecting trans people

FOUR substance abuse centres in New York, including the Salvation Army, are facing charges over discriminating against trans people.

The complaints, filed by the NYC Commission on Human Rights, were filed this week after investigation of reported discrimination, according to Pink News.

The commission approached the Salvation Army treatment centre and a dozen others in New York to enquire whether they accepted trans patients are where they would be housed.

One centre completely refused to accept trans people, telling a commission tester, “No, we don’t [accept trans patients].”

Other centres told the commission that they would house patients according to their gender assigned at birth, violating gender protections under NYC Human Rights Law.

Representatives from some centres said they would determine how to house a trans patient depending on “how far along the person is in the process”, or that they would perform a physical examination to determine whether the person was on hormones or had undergone surgery.

The drug treatment centres could face fines of up to $250,000 for discriminatory practices that breach NYC Human Rights Law, which has made it illegal to discriminate against individuals based on gender since 2002.

“People seeking drug treatment are being turned away simply because they’re transgender,” said Noah Lewis of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund.

“That’s unacceptable.

“Transgender people are disproportionately discriminated against in their daily lives, at their jobs, in restaurants, and on the street. Enough is enough.

“No one seeking treatment for drug use should be met with discrimination or harassment, and I’m glad the commission is taking action so that people seeking treatment can get the help they need.”

The Salvation Army has been under fire in Australia recently, including over a case of anti-LGBTI “bullying” at one of its colleges, and its withdrawal of support for the Safe Schools program last year.