Cuomo
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's cross-dressing lawsuit threatens the freedoms of business owners, the Family Research Council says.
The New York Daily News reported this week that Cuomo's suit against American Eagle Outfitters will force the company to rescind its ban on male employees wearing women's clothing and vice versa.
"Every American who believes in the right of employers to set dress and grooming standards for their employees should be alarmed by how this attorney general has used bullying tactics and litigation to impose cross-dressing policies on American Eagle Outfitters," FRC president Tony Perkins said.
A settlement with the clothing retailer will change the employee handbook and force American Eagle to train its staff on transgender issues, the report says. Those include training employees which pronouns to use.
FRC says Congress is considering the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which forces employers to eliminate gender-specific dress and grooming standards.
"What's most alarming is that President Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress want to expand these bullying litigation tactics to all 50 states by enacting into federal law a cross-dressing protection act," Perkins said.
"If Congress approves President Obama's ENDA bill, employers in every state can expect to experience the same expensive, burdensome litigation that has been pursued against American Eagle Outfitters."
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at jobrienwv@gmail.com.