I very much like this story about Maeve DuVally's coming out as a woman at Goldman Sachs. I can see myself in Maeve's shoes if only I came out on the job before I retired.
The story appeared in Friday edition of The New York Times and you can read it here.
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Wearing Bebe.
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| Jim Bailey, professional femulator, rose to fame in the late 1960's appearing on television impersonating Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Peggy Lee and other female entertainers. I believe I saw Jim for the first time on The Mike Douglas Show and as a budding femulator myself, I was very surprised by his television appearance. Until that time, the only female impersonations I saw on television were done for laughs on a situation comedy or a variety show. Never had I seen a true blue female impersonator on television performing a successful femulation. It was a WOW moment for me and I thought if he can do it, so can I. |
Congrats to Maeve and an article on how some corporations 'get it'. I doubt that most corporate HR's do.
ReplyDeleteHere is a fresh link (at the base of the linked article is a related link) on the REALITY of the role of 'Human Resources'. Basically, HR is there to protect the corporation, NOT YOU. YOUR watch-word should be CYA. The joke inside the Fortune 30 corp where I worked was the phone number to 'Corporate Concern Line' was (toll free) 2WHITEWASH, or 18-4-COVERUP! The 'concern lines' were managed by an outside company, further building a 'firewall' for the legal protection of the corporation. So if push came to shove-- WHO(?) did you call, and how do you subpoena a phone service, where the phone service provider gets changed (the number stays the same) every now and again, to further confound any mode of legal discovery.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/07/hr-workplace-harrassment-metoo/590644/
Velma
A couple of years back when still Michael, DuValley was the spokesperson for Goldman Sachs during a sex discrimination case, where a woman was allegedly fired during maternity leave. Not very feminist for a woman trapped in man's body is it?
ReplyDeleteLet's congratulate those companies who go with and support change. Like our military under President Obama, Goldman-Sachs understands these dedicated people are very positive assets and intends to keep them. After all, transitioning doesn't include erasing the person's brain -- or their heart!
ReplyDeleteI always lectured my kids on "Respect" and "Responsibility", and, you know, all four of them bought in. Years ago when my son was an Army Company Commander I asked him about this new policy, "Don't ask, don't tell". He told me he most certainly wasn't going to tell -- his best soldier was gay -- and three of his best ten.Then he reminded me, "I was listening when you lectured me about respect". This old Dad choked up.
Back in the early 1970's, the LA-based computer company I worked for was bought by a Fortune 25 company. I'll stay quiet about the names. The new ownership had a VERY liberal benefits package. For instance they provided family benefits for domestic couples, including same-sex. A trans co-worker approached personnel ("HR" hadn't been coined yet) about her transition medical expenses. She was told "Yes, but please don't advertise it". Folks, this was in 1972!
Maybe it boils down to respecting your fellow humans. Trans people take their transitions seriously, and those decisions are not taken lightly. And when these people become their true selves, they're still the same humans. And finally the companies who hired those humans are understanding the value of keeping their employees while recognizing and supporting their trained, productive people. Think these well supported employees are going to be super-loyal?
Nobody said it was going to be easy. But the world still turns and we keep moving forward, despite the efforts of those who would reverse history. I don't buy into religion, but recognize the words of prophets. I recall someone known as Jesus of Nazareth saying something like, "Treat others as you would have them treat you". It boggles my mind that so many followers of this man spew such hatred, given his most important words. Maybe these haters would have more success by respecting their fellow humans.
I also was impressed with Jim Bailey at a young age. He was doing something I wanted to do and was being praised for it. A very talented performer - I have a signed VHS copy of a collection of his appearances on TV.
ReplyDeleteKudos to Maeve and best wishes.
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