State Rep Points To 'Transphobic Garbage' Help Wanted Sign In Push To Strengthen Anti-Discriminatory Protections
By Stephen Gossett in News on Aug 16, 2017 9:44PM
State Rep. Will Guzzardi / Facebook
State Rep. Will Guzzardi took the opportunity of a transphobic "Help Wanted" sign, apparently spotted here in Illinois, to elucidate the shortcomings of the state's anti-discrimination protections.
A photograph that was first tweeted on Wednesday appears to show a southwest suburban pawnbroker's "Help Wanted" sign, with the added stipulation, "MUST BE FEMALE FROM BIRTH."
Employment discrimination is alive & well, even in Illinois. We need @WillGuzzardi's legislation to improve the ILHRA. h/t @maggiofkammelot pic.twitter.com/LQL42TDeYN
— Anthony M. Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) August 16, 2017
The post was brought to the attention of Democratic state. Rep. Will Guzzardi, who represents the Northwest Side. He responded with a mini-tweetstorm/thesis about the need to strengthen rights against employment discrimination, particularly loopholes available to business that employ fewer than 15 employees.
1/ This is transphobic garbage, and it's completely legal in Illinois, provided they have fewer than 15 employees https://t.co/r0BmVj3xCi
— Will Guzzardi 🖇 (@WillGuzzardi) August 16, 2017
2/ In fact, DID YOU KNOW? that that sign could say "Blacks Need Not Apply" and it'd be perfectly legal if they had <15 employees?
— Will Guzzardi 🖇 (@WillGuzzardi) August 16, 2017
3/ That's right. Except in a few cases, employment discrimination is perfectly legal for small businesses in IL pic.twitter.com/teC2UFf1tv
— Will Guzzardi 🖇 (@WillGuzzardi) August 16, 2017
4/ I'm trying to change this. But the "business community" lobbyists insist that it would be a huge undue burden on small employers
— Will Guzzardi 🖇 (@WillGuzzardi) August 16, 2017
5/ If you know any small biz owners willing to say "I think discrimination should be illegal for me too," tell them to slide into my DMs
— Will Guzzardi 🖇 (@WillGuzzardi) August 16, 2017
Guzzardi seeks to boost the anti-discrimination protections by strengthening the Illinois Human Rights Act. The business referenced in the original photo/tweet could not be immediately reached for comment. The Twitter user who originally posted the image said the sign was still up as of Wednesday morning.