Trans woman denied ‘gender-affirming’ services files human rights complaints
Jessica Yaniv is filing human rights complaints against the salons that refused her service. (Jessica Yaniv/ Twitter)
UPDATE (August 2 2019): Since this story was published, PinkNews has been contacted with claims about Jessica Yaniv relating to alleged racism.
PinkNews put these claims to Yaniv, and asked her for a response. In her response she admitted to making racist remarks.
Yaniv said: “Yes, I did publish ‘racist remarks’ because being denied services daily from the East Indian community at any business, sucks.”
She went on to claim that trans people are “victims” but that immigrants are “not.” She said: “The immigrants are targeting trans people. We are the victims, not them.”
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A trans woman has filed human rights complaints against salons in British Colombia, Canada, for refusing her “gender-affirming” beauty services because she is transgender.
Jessica Yaniv says she has received huge backlash from journalists and on social media for asking salons to give her a Brazilian wax as a trans woman, with some calling it “sexual assault.”
https://twitter.com/trustednerd/status/1152736240367591425
Although there has been a focus on Yaniv’s requests for a Brazilian wax, she told PinkNews that the coverage “has not been fair nor accurate,” and that she was in fact requesting many different services which would be “gender-affirming” for her.
She said: “I reached out starting in March 2018 to businesses advertising over Facebook Marketplace gender-affirming care services like facials, haircuts, manicures, pedicures, head massage, full-body waxing, Brazilian waxing, arm waxing, leg waxing, and was refused service.
“It was only when I mentioned to them that I am transgender that I got a slew of excuses.”
Yaniv provided PinkNews with screenshots of her conversation with one of the salons she has filed a complaint against.
The person from the salon said (spelling corrected for clarity): “Sorry I’m not trying to be rude or anything it’s just that I don’t feel comfortable doing this and I know you have the right it’s just that you’re a man into a lady but you’re still a man right but into a lady.”
(Jessica Yaniv)
(Jessica Yaniv)
(Jessica Yaniv)
In recordings heard by PinkNews, one salon told Yaniv when she enquired about the price of a wax, that she was a “f***ing bastard,” and that she was “mentally sick” and that if she called again they would give her number to the police.
Yaniv told PinkNews: “These are basic services that I am requesting as a transgendered person. There is no excuse nor reason that I should be denied service.”
She added: “They are not victims. They refused service to me, which is illegal under the BC Human Rights Code.”
The British Colombia human rights code states: “A person must not, without a bona fide and reasonable justification,
(a)deny to a person or class of persons any accommodation, service or facility customarily available to the public, or
(b)discriminate against a person or class of persons regarding any accommodation, service or facility customarily available to the public
because of the race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age of that person or class of persons.”
Yaniv said: “Trans people need these services! We’re like any other woman out there.
“To deny us these rights is denying our existence. This is important because it will show that refusing service to a person in a protected ground because they are part of that protected ground is discrimination.”
She said the decision would be announced by the tribunal at the end of this year.
