Trans-Woman Suing Beauty Spa For Refusing to Wax Her Legs
- By Kelly Frazier --
- 09 Jun 2018 --
Mad Wax stands by its employee
Mad Wax, a Canadian beauty spa, now faces the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for denying services to a trans-woman.[/tweetit] The business establishment is accused of causing the aggrieved individual “immense harm” to her dignity. The complainant now seeks $50,000 as compensation. The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario received a complaint from the trans-woman who claimed she was not waxed due to her being trans.
Trans-Woman Suing Beauty Spa For Refusing to Wax Her Legs[/tweetthis]
According to official legal records, the complainant tried to wax her body at the specific beauty shop Mad Wax first in March. She was turned away during that time as no member of staff at that time was available who could do the wax. The sole employee who generally waxes male clients was on sick leave. The other working employee, a Muslim female, outright refused. She gave the reason that it is against her religious beliefs to make any physical contact with a male she is not related to.
The trans-woman then filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The trans-woman's official application made to the tribunal said, “refusal to provide me with leg-waxing services because I am a Transgender woman, and their disclosing my name, gender identity and personal information to various media outlets has left me feeling threatened, exposed, with my rights violated in terms of seeking services as a woman in the Windsor-Essex community.”
The company in the center of the storm, Mad Wax, is on the side of the employee. The CEO and president of Mad Wax, Jason Carruthers, said that he respects the religious beliefs of his employees. He stressed that although his establishment welcomes all clients, independent of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, the company policy also takes into account feelings of safety and religious beliefs of employees in their right not to perform any waxing service on male bodies or on male genitals. The same has been communicated by Ray Colautti, the attorney representing Mad Wax. The attorney stated in its legal papers that the business establishment respects its employees and their feelings. The spa will not pressure any employee to provide any service which the former is not comfortable providing.
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