Former Macy's employee Natalie Johnson says she was exercising her religious freedom when she did not allow a transgender woman use of the woman's dressing room. (Video capture via KENS-5.)

Macy's dressing room incident sparks debate on transgender rights
QSanAntonio.com, December 9, 2011

A woman who was fired from the San Antonio Macy's store in Rivercenter Mall claims that she was exercising her religious freedom when she told a transgender woman that she could not use the women's dressing room. The incident has garnered international attention and sparked a vigorous debate here in San Antonio.

News of the controversy was first made public on December 5 when Liberty Counsel, "an international nonprofit litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family," issued a press release describing the incident.

"Natalie Johnson claims she saw the young man walk out of the women’s fitting room and politely told him that he could not go back in because it was for women only. The cross-dressing young man claimed that he is a 'female.' Johnson said that he was wearing make-up and girl’s clothing, but clearly he was a male. The cross-dresser was accompanied by five other individuals. The group argued with expletives that Macy’s is LGBT-friendly, to which Johnson replied that Macy’s is also non-discriminatory toward religion, and that it would go against her religious beliefs to lie that he was a woman or compromise with homosexuality. "

Johnson was eventually fired and, with the help of Liberty Counsel, has taken her story to the court of public opinion. In the last few days she has made her case in local media including KENS-TV, KSAT-TV and the San Antonio Express-News.

Media outlets across the country have picked up the story including the Huffington Post, the Advocate and the Houston Chronicle. The story was also picked up in England by The Daily Mail. (See related links below.)

In the Express-News story by religion writer Abe Levy, Chuck Smith, deputy director of Equality Texas says that "Transgender people exist and buy clothes and shop and should be treated with the same accommodations as any other person."

In the same Express-News story, Rev. Mick Hinson, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church in San Antonio says, "Transgender people are who God created them to be and are authentically living it out, and that means letting them decide which bathroom or dressing room is best for them. Macy's is supporting all people. I'm sorry this ex-employee felt this was a religious issue, but if that's the case, she'll have problems in all walks of life where people make decisions she doesn't agree with."

In an interview with KENS-5, Johnson says that Macy's policy conflicts with her religious beliefs.

""They wanted me to believe that the young man I was looking at was a woman," Johnson said. "He wasn't. He was just a man with makeup on and women's clothing. . . I personally don't believe in transgenders. These are just people that are mentally confused."

Matt Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel told the Express-News, "This policy is fraught with problems because it opens up the fitting room for anyone to come in, and employees are not permitted to question it. To me, it's a liability waiting to happen. It's just a matter of time that a man goes into a female fitting room and watches women undress or, even worse, rapes a woman.”

Lauryn Farris, a transgender woman who lives in San Antonio and owns a photo studio downtown, told KENS-5, "We have to begin to ask ourselves, are we really doing this because we are afraid or are we just practicing hate because that's what we were taught?"

Another local transgender woman, Amber Nixx Armendariz, says that early in her transition she had a similar experience and thinks that Macy's did the right thing. "I have to say, I'm glad she was fired. But it made me mad that she is using her religious views, to me --her personal views, to justify her actions."

Farris told QSanAntonio that there are three similar cases currently moving the courts. "But," she adds, "this is still San Antonio and South Texas. There is not broad community support for transgender people here like there is many other places. Maybe someday even we will be protected here if one of these cases makes it through the Supreme Court."

QSanAntonio.com encourages our community to contact Macy’s and let them know that you support their policy toward LGBT people. You can reach Terry Lundgren, the CEO of Macy’s at macys_execs@macys.com or call their corporate offices at 513-398-5221 or fax them at 513-573-2049.

Commentary: Macy’s fires employee for “religious beliefs” – or does it?
By Jay Morris, QSanAntonio.com, December 8, 2011
The Macy’s store at Rivercenter Mall in San Antonio, Texas, recently came under fire for its termination of Natalie Johnson, who was employed at the store until a few days before Thanksgiving. Ms. Johnson refused to allow a transgender woman to use the lady’s fitting room. According to the organization representing Ms. Johnson, Liberty Counsel, she was fired for her religious beliefs. To clarify, they argue she was fired for being Christian.

Macy's employee fired after refusing to allow transgender shopper to use the women's fitting room
DailyMail.co.uk, December 9, 2011
Natalie Johnson, 27, admits she was watching the customer from the start, claiming she could tell he was a man shopping for women’s clothes.

Macy's employee fired after violating company's LGBT policy
KSAT.com, December 9, 2011
Natalie Johnson is a 27-year-old student and, until last week, worked at the River Center Macy's. On Nov. 30, a teenager shopping caught her attention. "I made sure to keep an eye on him because he was shopping for women's clothing," remembered Johnson.

Macy's worker fired for denying dressing room to transgender customer
kens5.com, December 7, 2011
A local college student says she was fired from her job for refusing to allow a transgender woman into the women's dressing room. Now she's speaking out, saying her religion conflicts with the store's transgender policy. 

Firing of Macy's worker pits freedom of religion vs. GLBT rights
By Abe Levy, San Antonio Express-News, December 8, 2011
A former Macy's employee who said she was fired for refusing to let a transgender woman use the women's dressing room at the Rivercenter mall location is trying to get her job back.

Macy's Fires Employee For Refusing To Let Transgender Customer Use The Women's Dressing Room
Huffington Post, December 7, 20ll
Macy's may have become synonymous with the holiday shopping season after its appearance in the Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street," but not all is merry and bright at a Texas branch of the popular retail chain, where an employee was fired after she refused to allow a transgender woman to use the ladies' fitting room.

Macy’s worker reportedly fired for not allowing transgender shopper into dressing room
Houston Chronicle, December 7, 2011
An employee at a Macy’s in San Antonio was fired for not allowing a transgendered shopper to use the store’s women’s fitting room, saying doing so would violate her Christian beliefs, according to the Liberty Counsel, a religious advocacy organization that’s helping her fight the store’s policy.

Macy’s Fires Employee for Protecting Women’s Dressing Rooms from Cross-dresser
Liberty Counsel.com, December 5, 2011
A young woman was fired from the Macy's San Antonio Rivercenter department store in Texas for refusing to violate her religious beliefs by permitting a young man dressed as a woman from entering the women’s dressing room.