Continental promo
||  News  ||
 
11/11/06-11/13/06

Transgender woman alleges discrimination at Philadelphia YMCA

Dawn Dalpe, a transgender woman living in South Philadelphia, has filed a complaint with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations alleging that she has been barred from all 10 regional branches of the YMCA, the Philadelphia Gay News reported Friday.

Dalpe, 38, states in her complaint that she joined the Christian Street YMCA in mid October to use the swimming pool but was barred after only three visits when executive director Michelle Stevenson demanded Dalpe's "proof of gender." When Dalpe returned with an affidavit from her doctor certifying her biological sex as female, Stevenson grabbed the paper out of her hand and told her to leave or else she would call the police.

"I was afraid I'd be harassed even more if I didn't bring in the affidavit," Dalpe told the PGN. "But when [Stevenson] grabbed it out of my hands, that was too much. I lost my composure. I didn't say anything threatening to her. But I did tell her she should be ashamed of herself for violating someone's privacy in such a rude and cavalier way."

Shortly thereafter, Dalpe received a letter informing her that she was barred from all 10 Philadelphia-area YMCA branches. Her complaint went on say that Stevenson violated her civil rights by asking for proof of her gender and that she violated a city-wide ordinance protecting transgender individuals from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations.

Omoiye Kinney, a spokeswoman for the YMCA of Philadelphia and vicinity, insisted Dalpe's membership was terminated due to her threatening behavior toward Stevenson, not her transgender status.

"The YMCA of Philadelphia and vicinity is open to all," Kinney said in a statement. "We don't discriminate on any basis that's covered by law." (The Advocate)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max. HTML formatting and hyperlinks are NOT permitted.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • View From the Hill: The End of DADT?
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates revealed that lawyers are exploring ways to ease enforcement of the military's gay ban, but cautioned that the law doesn't leave much wiggle room. He need look no further than DOD history for a lesson in altering the policy.
  • Hot Sheet: Week of July 5
    When you get back from that big 4th of July barbecue, unwind with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno and your favorite B-movie-mocking, basic cable robots.
  • Hungry Like the Wolf
    A master of viola, ukulele, piano, and harp, Patrick Wolf is a music prodigy -- one who, the night before this interview, spit on a cop and got himself arrested.
  • Soapside: Advocate's Guide to Daytime
    Forbes March talks about playing gay, Otalia fans outraged, update on One Life to Live’s Patricia Maurceri’s firing over gay plot point, Phillip Chancellor III big reveal, and Erica Kane goes to Africa.
  • The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
    With the federal challenge to Prop. 8 moving full speed ahead, Advocate.com sits down with the two couples named as plaintiffs in the suit.
  • Mommy, the Gays Are Coming
    After a year of advancements and celebration for gay and lesbian Colombians, the community takes to the streets of Bogota for the country's biggest pride ever.
  • The Pride of Antwerp
    Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.
  • Excerpt: Mean Little Deaf Queer
    In an excerpt from her humorous and harrowing new memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer, Terry Galloway recalls her early childhood, describing feelings of ugliness, confusion about gender, and being one of the boys.
  • Top Political Blogs
    From Joe.My.God to The Daily Beast, Advocate.com spotlights a few of the best blogs that cover politics, inside and way outside the Beltway.
  • The Diva of French Television
    A hot young screenwriter who has made gay OK for millions of French viewers, Nicolas Mercier sips champagne, dons a feathered hat, and says he wants to see Colin Farrell and Jude Law go at it.