Employment Principles

Diversity Principles

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society is founded on the belief that progressive social change must be led by the people most impacted by social injustice in order to avoid replicating the systems of oppression we are challenging. All interns, staff, fellows, volunteers, and Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society’s BOD are expected to act in accordance with this principle.

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society seeks to promote diversity, not only in the traditional sense of that word, that is, including people from a range of races, ethnicities, genders, gender identities, gender expressions, socioeconomic classes, sexual orientations, abilities and disabilities, religion, marital status, size (weight/height), ages, and other factors, but also in terms of including people with various educational backgrounds, experiences, and relationships to the prison industrial complex.

These principles apply to hiring; training; opportunities for advancement; terminations; relationships with external organizations; collaborative partnerships; individuals (including, but not limited to, people in prison and outside prison, our constituency, and legal clients) and the general public; and relationships with contractors and consultants. 

Pronoun Policy

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society is committed to supporting its diverse staff and recognizes the deleterious impact of misgendering.  We understand that a safe and healthy work environment is one where people’s identities are respected.  

As a result, the following behavior is considered harassment and is prohibited in the workplace:

• Comments or actions that minimize a person’s lived experience, identity, or safety

• Misgendering

• Refusal to respect someone’s gender identity

• Use of deadnames

If a staff member engages in harassment, their direct supervisor should be notified.  The staff member will receive a warning on their first violation of this policy and appropriate action will be taken if future violations occur.  Appropriate action may range from verbal warnings to termination of employment, depending on the severity and pervasiveness of the violation(s).

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best available person in every job. Organizational policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and mental ability and disability, legally protected medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or family care status, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. In addition, our organizational policy prohibits discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, intersex traits, familial structure, domestic partnership status, medical condition including genetic characteristics, size (weight/height) and socioeconomic class. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. All such discrimination is ​not tolerated by Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society.

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society is committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to ​all ​persons involved in organization operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of the organization, including supervisors and coworkers. 

To comply with Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society’s values and applicable laws ensuring equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability, Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or an employee unless undue hardship to the Organization would result. 

Any employee who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should contact the Human Resources Agent and request such an accommodation in writing. The employee should specify what accommodation they need to perform the job and for how long they will need this accommodation. Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society then will investigate to identify the barriers that interfere with the equal opportunity of the employee to perform their job. Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society will identify possible accommodations, if any, that will help eliminate the limitation. If the accommodation is reasonable and will not impose an undue hardship, Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society will make the accommodation. 

If you believe you have been subjected to any form of unlawful discrimination, submit a written complaint to Human Resources. Your complaint should be specific and should include the names of the individuals involved and the names of any witnesses. If you need assistance with your complaint, or if you prefer to make a complaint in person, contact the BOD President. Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society will immediately undertake an effective, thorough, and objective investigation and attempt to resolve the situation. 

If the Organization’s HR Department determines that unlawful discrimination has occurred, effective remedial action will be taken commensurate with the severity of the conduct. Appropriate action also will be taken to deter any future discrimination. Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint and will not knowingly permit retaliation by management, employees, or your coworkers. 

Unlawful Harassment

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society is committed to creating a space for our community that is free from oppression and challenges damaging and oppressive behaviors in ourselves and others. We seek to provide a work environment free of harassment, including unlawful harassment, and to pursue resolution procedures that align with the principles of transformative justice. 

Our organizational values and policies prohibit sexual harassment and harassment based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religious creed, color, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, intersex traits, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental ability or disability, medical condition, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation, size (weight/height), hygiene practices, socioeconomic class, educational background, relationship to the prison industrial complex or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. ​All such harassment is​ ​not tolerated. 

The Organization’s anti-harassment policy applies to all persons involved in the operation of the organization and prohibits unlawful harassment by any staff, fellows, interns, volunteers, or board members of the organization, as well as vendors, customers, independent contractors, and any other persons. It also prohibits unlawful harassment based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. 

Prohibited unlawful harassment includes, but is not limited to, the following behavior: 

Verbal conducts such as epithets, derogatory jokes or comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations, or comments: 

1. Visual displays such as derogatory and/or sexually oriented posters, photography, cartoons, drawings, or gestures:

2. Physical conduct including assault, unwanted touching, intentionally blocking normal movement or interfering with work because of sex, race, or any other protected basis:

3. Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued employment, or to avoid some other loss and offers of employment benefits in return for sexual favors; and

4. Retaliation for reporting or threatening to report harassment.

Procedure for Reporting and Addressing Harassment If you believe that you have been harassed: 

1. Report it to Human Resources. If the complaint personnel within HR, please submit your request to AD or ED. If this request involves HR, AD, and ED please submit your request directly to the BOD. You will be asked to provide details of the incident or incidents, names of individuals involved and the names of any witnesses. It can be helpful to communicate your complaint in writing, but this is not mandatory.

2. The person to whom you communicated your complaint will undertake an effective, thorough, and objective investigation in a timely and efficient manner. This means they will talk to everyone involved and find out what happened. This person may call upon outside professional support if needed and may request to involve the Directors in this process. They will get consent from you before doing so, as well as talk through how much is shared with others at the Organization.

3. Effective remedial action will be taken in accordance with the circumstances involved. Potential actions may include:

1. A written request for a change in behavior, with follow up counseling.

2. A requirement to get outside support, such as counseling or education

3. Suspension, followed by trial reintegration

4. More frequent evaluations

5. Termination

6. Drawing upon outside support for next steps.

The Organization will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint and will not tolerate or permit retaliation by anyone employed or contracted by Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society. 

Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society encourages all employees to report any incidents of harassment forbidden by this policy immediately ​so that complaints can be quickly and fairly resolved. You also should be aware that the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the New York Department of Fair Employment and Housing investigate and prosecute complaints of prohibited harassment in employment. If you think you have been harassed or that you have been retaliated against for resisting or complaining, you may file a complaint with the appropriate agency. The nearest office is listed in the telephone book.