ACLU Demands Uber Eats Stops 'Deadnaming' and Misgendering Its Drivers

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File

Compared to times past, we’re living in an age of supplemental identifiers.

In a world of emojis, icons, and usernames, people are more robustly defined.

Who before may have just been “Chuck” may now be Chuck, the pansexual biological male or female who identifies as a demigender individual whose pronouns are he, she, they, and bunself.

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And Chuck may be a new name, which subsists alongside a dead one.

It’s more information of which to keep track.

And according to the American Civil Liberties Union, the people at Uber Eats aren’t doing it well.

Therefore, on Tuesday, demands were made:

“We are demanding that Uber Eats end its practice of misgendering and deadnaming trans drivers.”

On Twitter, the ACLU explained it’s representing a Kansas driver named Laine Repic.

Per the post, Laine’s “faced harassment and discrimination because the Uber Eats app shows his former name to customers.”

Uber Eats has been repeatedly contacted by Laine, yet there’ve been no updates to the app.

Societally, this is an issue that’s destined to grow.

People are rechristening themselves and in many cases don’t legally change their name.

Such is the recent situation for a Google-contracted security guard.

Per DropTheDeadnames.org, Phares is “a trans man and a member of the (Google) Alphabet Workers Union.”

The employee’s name tag bears a birth name, though Phares has corrected it multiple times.

Hence, a campaign for change.

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As for instances of misgendering, on June 4th, a nonbinary Alaska Airlines staffer’s (ACLU) attorney fired off a letter to the senior vice president:

“Justin’s gender identity is non-binary…Justin’s gender expression is fluid. … [W]hen Justin works a shift as a flight attendant and must adhere to the uniform policy, Justin faces constant misgendering. They feel their gender identity and expression aren’t valued or accepted, and as a result feel forced to present as “male” at work. The struggle Justin feels to be accepted while working as a flight attendant has exacerbated their anxiety, insomnia, and depression. Justin often faces panic attacks leading up to a scheduled shift… Justin frequently avoids working as a flight attendant due to extreme discomfort with the uniform standards, choosing instead to work extra shifts as a flight attendant instructor where their identity is embraced.”

Ours is a progressively sophisticated culture.

If you doubt it, consider the following from a TikTok video, which I haven’t embedded due to language:

“Pansexuality is not inherently biphobic. … And while…I have seen pansexual people use that label for questionable reasons, they pretty quickly get it once you explain things to them. … And not only that, but do you know who likes to use…microlabels? Neurodivergent people. Sometimes, we just have to do whatever we can to feel safe and comfortable. … If you took all that energy you spend calling people biphobic and saying they’re performing bi-erasure and just educated them, there would be less biphobia. There would be less bi-erasure. Because you’ve explained it, and people know the difference.”

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Back to Uber Eats, the ACLU tweeted, “Everyone should have access to an accurate ID,” followed by a linked appeal to the White House.

The webpage directs visitors, “For Pride month and for our everyday safety: Send [this] message urging President Biden to sign this executive order now”:

I’m asking you to show up for our trans, intersex, and non-binary communities right now, especially amidst the ongoing legislative attacks against young people across the states. Issue an executive order immediately that directs all federal agencies to implement self-attestation of gender markers, and allow for a gender neutral “X” designation on all federal IDs and records.

Currently, it says, in order for someone to update a “gender marker in the social security system…or on any other federal ID or record,” they need a letter from a doctor confirming “appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition.”

And without the updated documents, “trans, intersex, and nonbinary people are left open to discrimination and harassment every single day — particularly people of color and especially Black trans people.”

That would include, of course, any BIPOC trans people driving for Uber Eats.

The ACLU thinks the delivery giant’s Uber awful.

But Joe could alter all that.

“[Y]ou can prevent this dangerous misgendering,” the ACLU insists.

Will he?

Only time will tell.

In the meantime, stay alert and aware.

And don’t misgender or deadname the nonbinary individual who delivers your Death By Chocolate.

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-ALEX

 

See more pieces from me:

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Find all my RedState work here.

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