Work, The Voice, And Discrimination?

[Guest Katrina_Carter]

Ok to start out I want to say that my voice has always had a feminine quality to it. It's been deep enough to usually distinguish between male and female, but if you aren't paying 100% attention to me and not looking at me it is easy to assume I am a woman.

Thanks to our wonderful economy and me with only a high school diploma, I had to take a job at Burger King just to survive. That was 3 years ago. The first year I used my regular voice and was called mam about 1 in 4 cars through our drive-thru. I would of course get teased about it by co-workers and finally got sick of it so started practicing a lower voice. I did ok with the lower voice, my voice would crack occasionally like I was going through puberty, but people stopped calling me mam.

Over the last 3 months however since I've come out to my family and begun to transition I've stopped practicing the lower voice. A few weeks ago I started talking like I always have and do at home and out in public. Today I was hauled into the office by the store manager and told that this is Burger King not a drive through phone sex, and that I am creeping the other employees out. I tried explaining that it was my normal voice and anyone who had been there when I started could tell him that. I told him in order to keep my voice deeper I had to practice every day on the way to work for almost a year and that I still had to practice to get it ready every day. His response was that most of the employees weren't there when I started and it is a drastic change and he wants me to stop.

So what am I supposed to do? I am getting in trouble and there were hints of me losing hours or my job if I didn't start speaking "more like a man". What happens when I start practicing a feminine voice and my regular tone becomes more feminine? I'm afraid of losing my job, but I can't see myself ever just giving in and faking a voice that isn't mine because it upsets people when I don't. I realize it's a minimum wage job, but it's all I have, is there any recourse or anything I could say or do if they cut my hours because my voice isn't deep enough?

It really hurt my feelings that my co-workers were creeped out just by the way I talked. I like the people I work with, I don't want to have to find a new job just so I can continue transitioning.

[Sally]

Dear Katrina,

I would write an Email to the Human Resources department of BK to find out what there policies are for gender expression - it is quite possible that the company will not allow this sort of discrimination but do remember that what ever the company policy is the people around you can always make life miserable.

Sorry, but that is about all I can offer.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest sarah f]

Katrina, I am so sorry that you have to go through that at work. It is just a fast food place for goddness sake. I know all too well about having to change my voice for work and male friends. I used to have a feminine voice but over time developed more of a male voice. My voice cracked for about 4 years while trying to develop a male voice and was made fun of all the time. Now I am in the process of trying to learn how to speak with a feminine voice again. It is really hard and I don't think I sound the same as I did before learning a male voice. I would tell you to stop trying to have a male voice and go back to the way you were. If you do it for too long it becomes normal and it is really really hard to change back. I wish you the best with your job but you might have to find another job if they are still discremenating you.

Love,

Sarah F

[Guest i is Sam :-)]

After the recent publicity with that McDonalds manager, it'd seem the best thing to do might be to come out at work, I think your manager would think twice before risking his job.

[Guest Donna Jean]

Katrina....

I have to throw in here and say....

E-mail HR and let them know....Your "natural" voice is higher and it is "un-natural" to try to do otherwise!

It can even be painful....

I'd do that and keep a copy of the e-mail for future use...

Good luck, Honey...

Huggs

Donna Jean

[Paula ult]

I have to say i am pretty sure this is discrimination, your voice is naturally higher, would your manager also tell someone that had a voice like Barry White he had to raise it to not freak out customers, i do not think so, after all it is fast food, i could care less what someone looked like or sounded like as long as i got my food quickly.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Burger King does have sexual orientation but not gender identity listed in their employee handbook, they are given a 68 out of 100 score for this, believe it or not Mcdonalds scores 85 out of 100 and is more transgender friendly, that is why they did not tolerate what happened in Florida.

If talking to your manager does not help i would contact the HR department and explain what is going on and see what they say, you should not have to tell them your name unless you want to.

Paula

[Guest Katrina_Carter]

My problem is that most burger kings are franchised and do not have to go by corporate rules as long as they do not violate any state or federal laws. We had an issue recently with the men, the owner told all men they were no longer allowed to have facial hair and if they did they would be fired. Corporate policy is neatly trimmed. Most of the male employees raised hell about it, but in the end they capitulated. I am disgusted by facial hair on myself anyways so never was an issue. This however is something not covered by state or federal discrimination laws that I am aware of.

I thought about calling up the local chapter for LGBTQ rights and seeing what they had to say. If I did though and the LGBTQ people contacted where I work, they would instantly know it was me. I am one of only 2 bi/gay people there and the other is 17 and the niece of the owner.

So I will probably just give in. Keeping food on the table and a roof over my head is sadly more important than my pride and my feelings.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Difficult problem - it seems its the coworkers that are causing it - not the customers. I would say go to work at the rival McD - where policy may be different. In any case - whatever you do will probably get you fired unless you just cave in. Not good!

Lizzy

[Guest Katrina_Carter]

I've thought about it, but where I am from even McDonalds isn't hiring. Still I don't think the problem would stop. What company policy is and what employees actually do are two totally separate things when it comes to high turn-over jobs.