Japan Press Weekly

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2016 June 29 - July 5 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

GID worker sues company for being forced to come out

A 40-year-old worker with gender identity disorder on June 28 filed a lawsuit against an Aichi-based company with the Nagoya District Court, claiming that the worker suffered emotional distress after being forced to come out before other employees.

The plaintiff, who was born a man and works for a subsidiary of leading probiotic product maker Yakult Honsha Co., is seeking 3.3 million yen in compensation.

In January 2014, the worker was diagnosed with gender identity disorder. In May of the same year, the worker told the Yakult subsidiary, Aichi Yakult Factory, that he changed the name in the family register to a female name. She had no intention of revealing the disorder to other colleagues and wished to continue using the male name in the workplace the same as before. However, the company rejected the worker’s requests and compelled the worker to declare in front of other employees in June regarding the worker’s gender identity which is different from the assigned sex.

This forcible coming-out inflicted emotional trauma on the worker to the extent that the worker experienced severe depression and eventually had to take sick leave.

The plaintiff said that after returning to work, the worker has been separated from other employees and has been doing work in a room in a warehouse. The worker said at a press conference that the decision to take the case to the court was made in consideration of those who may want to change their gender identity in the future.