Bethany BergerApr 25, 2023

The Texas Observer reports on Tx Dep't of Agriculture's new dress code: ”Employees are expected to comply with this dress code in a manner consistent with their biological gender" [sic] & will face "corrective action" if they don't.

This is literally what the Supreme Court held violated Title VII in #Bostock. In 2020! In a Gorsuch opinion! I know the #RuleofLaw is in tatters, but seriously . . .
https://www.texasobserver.org/sid-miller-department-agriculture-dress-code-transgender/
@TexasObserver @oconnell #transphobia #LGBTQIA+ #Texas #SCOTUS #trans

Ag Commissioner Sid Miller’s New Transphobic Dress Code

An April 13 memo from the Department of Agriculture welcomes “Western wear” but requires employees to dress according to “biological gender.”

The Texas Observer
Show threadPaul Chernoff
@Bethanyrberger @TexasObserver @oconnell @amalgamary My cousin Fegala Ben Miriam sued the federal government in the 60s or 70s on these grounds. He was a typist for the federal govt and was fired for wearing a dress to work for a year. Went to Supreme Court and won. He was also one of the first people to sue for legalization of gay marriage, obviously lost that one.
Apr 25, 2023 at 8:48pmWeb
Show threadTexas ObserverApr 26, 2023
@paulc @Bethanyrberger @oconnell @amalgamary wow what a story!
Show threadPaul ChernoffApr 26, 2023
@TexasObserver @Bethanyrberger @oconnell @amalgamary His sister and brothers know much more and he does have a wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faygele_Ben-Miriam Arg, I got his name spelled incorrectly. Faygele, know as Fegs to his friends. The entire family is quite interesting.
Faygele Ben-Miriam - Wikipedia

Show threadPaul ChernoffApr 26, 2023
@TexasObserver @Bethanyrberger @oconnell @amalgamary Stuff not in the wiki page but more family lore. He did hitchhike cross country in a dress; trucks would slow down until the drivers saw his beard, and then speed up. He also drove cross country in a van with friends with “Faggots against Fascism” painted on it, not a safe thing to do in the early 70s.
Show threadInaApr 26, 2023

@paulc

@TexasObserver

Storycorps did a nice episode on him on YouTube, it even mentions that dress code lawsuit.

Show threadPaul ChernoffApr 26, 2023
@ina @TexasObserver thanks. I’ll look it up and let his siblings know about it. Also, a series of fairy tails, “Fairytales for Fegs” was named after him.
Show threadInaApr 26, 2023

@paulc

@TexasObserver

Wait, like a book series? That's super cute

Show threadPaul ChernoffApr 27, 2023
@ina @TexasObserver Fairy Tales for Fegs was printed in a magazine, so a tale per issue or whatever. I remember seeing them when I was 16, my father and I were visiting my brother at college and we went to visit Fegs’ mother (my father’s cousin) and Fegs was staying with his mother, so my memory isn’t great. I don’t know if they were collected.
Show threadPaul ChernoffApr 26, 2023
@ina @TexasObserver found it. faygela was very political and was annoyed that he was dying of lung cancer and not AIDS.
Show threadPaul ChernoffApr 26, 2023
@ina @TexasObserver and here is the link. https://storycorps.org/stories/why-he-was-unknown-is-a-mystery-remembering-one-gay-man-who-sued-for-the-right-to-work/
“Why He Was Unknown Is A Mystery”: Remembering One Gay Man Who Sued For The Right To Work

Patrick Haggerty and his friend, Ronni Gilboa, remember their friend, Faygele ben Miriam, a gay rights trailblazer who fought against workplace discrimination.

Show threadPaul ChernoffApr 27, 2023
@ina @TexasObserver Thanks. Faygelas’ sister didn’t know about this and was pleased to see it.