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   November 20, 2020

Lawsuit alleges anti-trans discrimination in a private DC shelter

   by Jake Maher // November 20, 2020
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   interested in applying for that room.

   But the next month, Canada, who is a transgender man, received an email
   from the intake officer saying St. Luke’s told her they had never
   worked with a transgender person before and they would need time to
   “think about it.” Canada alleges that he was quietly rejected from St.
   Luke’s because he stopped receiving communications about the private
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   Luke’s are at the crux of a lawsuit Canada filed in October against the
   National United Methodist Church and Friendship Place. Canada argues
   that he was twice discriminated against for being transgender — once
   when he was rejected from St. Luke’s and again when AimHire failed to
   push back against that rejection.
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   while.”

   [Read more: Transgender job applicants often face discrimination in the
   District]

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   Reconciling Ministries Network, an organization promoting inclusivity
   among United Methodist churches, and in doing so “[stated] explicitly
   that we are welcoming of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
   persons.”
   Photo of Seth Canada
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   describes himself as a lifelong advocate in the LGBTQ community. The
   organization has focused on serving LGBTQ youth since at least 2015 and
   at least one of its staff members is a formerly homeless transgender
   woman.

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   need to take stock before agreeing to house a Black person. “You
   wouldn’t say that, and it’s no different under D.C. law when you say,
   ‘I’ve never housed a transgender person before, or a gay person
   before,’” Hill said. “It’s all protected.” The D.C. Human Rights Act of
   1977 includes protections based on gender identity.

   As for Friendship Place, Hill said they treated Canada differently than
   they would have treated a non-transgender person in that case.
   Friendship Place, Hill said, “tried to give [Canada] housing according
   to different terms and conditions than they would have if he was
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   According to Len Williams, operations director of the Wanda Alston
   Foundation and, like Canada, a formerly-homeless trans man of color,
   the case underscores systemic discrimination and a lack of resources
   for transgender people in homeless services.

   The consequences of that discrimination can be deeply harmful for
   transgender people. “It’s debilitating if you go [to a shelter] and
   find the same thing you dealt with on the outside you’re dealing with
   in a space where the doors are closed,” Williams said. “Your living
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   Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the
   Homeless, agreed that resources are limited for trans people
   experiencing homelessness. He attributed some of the discrimination to
   an overdue reckoning with the changing demographics of the homeless
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   its website.

   [Read more: New HUD rule could allow anti-trans discrimination in
   shelters]

   Part of the solution to the issues facing transgender men experiencing
   homelessness, Williams said, is spaces designed especially for them.
   Trans people in shelters often don’t have access to a strong support
   network. The Wanda Alston Foundation operates two transitional housing
   programs for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth.

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   without having to turn to lawsuits. According to him, the most
   effective measure to curb discrimination would be increased training to
   help the staff of service providers form connections with transgender
   people and become comfortable treating them the same as all other
   clients.
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   happened constituted illegal discrimination — and damages. Canada said
   his intent with the lawsuit is to stop what happened to him from
   happening to other transgender people.

   “I understand that some individual organizations could still operate
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   Williams said he was happy to see the case being brought because Canada
   is speaking for many other transgender men who Williams said have been
   bullied out of making complaints when they faced discrimination.

   “This is a lot of voices [Canada] has with him,” Williams said. “There
   are a lot of trans men that have not had this gusto to get here.”
   Related content: Civil Rights, LGBTQ, Shelters

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