Clothing Store Responds to Incident of Discrimination

After undertaking advocacy efforts in response to an incident of unlawful discrimination at a local Ross Dress for Less, the ACLU-WA has good news to report:  Ross Stores, Inc. has taken action to ensure that transgender customers do not face discriminatory treatment in the future. A transgender woman reported that a manager loudly told her to leave a dressing room and put on her “regular clothes” when she was trying on apparel at Ross’ Lynnwood, Washington, location. The ACLU-WA contacted Ross’ president to remind him that Washington law bars retail stores from discriminating against customers based on gender identity or expression.

The company responded by clarifying for its employees that the company’s prohibition on “gender” discrimination includes discrimination against persons on the basis of their gender identity or expression and instructing its employees to accommodate customers’ gender identities in the use of changing dressing rooms and restrooms.