Mon 20 Jul 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Auckland trans woman Mary Haddock-Staniland. (Image by Katie Wilson). UPDATED: Farmers has decided to introduce gender neutral fitting rooms, in the wake of a trans woman's experience in an Auckland store which left her humiliated. The company has told NZME it’s reviewed its fitting room policies and decided to make them gender-neutral, following Mary Haddock-Staniland's experience at their Botany branch in Auckland last month. When she was trying on clothes in a Farmers on June 30, Haddock-Staniland says she was asked by staff member in the women’s fashion department if she was a man or woman, then described within earshot to other shoppers as ‘half woman’. Farmers has since apologised, and Haddock-Staniland has met with company reps. “In the initial days after this became public I was upset and angry, but after talking with Farmers I’m feeling better about the situation.” She says Farmers has taken the opportunity to remind staff of their obligations to treat all customers with respect and look at their fitting room policy. Haddock-Staniland has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission and expects to hear the outcome of its investigation in the next month. She says has she received overwhelming, including from friend and employer of a large retail team, New Zealand fashion designer Annah Stretton. “Becoming informed re trans people means that retailers will operate with understanding, rather than bigoted misunderstanding that leads to this type of behaviour,” Stretton says. “It takes courage for a transgender person to shop in these spaces, but they have the same requirements as any other shopper, so I would suggest that we all get on and do the job we are paid to do and provide customers with service.” /
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 20th July 2015 - 10:12am