Transsexual officer 'discriminated against'

An Army officer who had surgery to become a woman was the victim of sexual discrimination, an employment tribunal heard on Tuesday.

Joanne Wingate, 42, of north Somerset, claims the Ministry of Defence (MoD) sexually discriminated against her because of her transsexuality.

The former Warrant Officer Class 2, who joined the Army as a man in 1981, was the first person in the service to change gender.

She claims there was an effort to discharge her on medical grounds and that she was refused access to appropriate medical treatment after she underwent gender reassignment.

In a witness statement put before the hearing in Bristol, Miss Wingate said she told the Army that she was "gender dysphoric" (transsexual) in 1997.

'Sexually harassed'

She said after her operation in 1998 she was moved into a post which reduced opportunities for promotion, and that her records, medals and administration were not changed to reflect her new gender.

Miss Wingate also claimed she was sexually harassed and suffered derogatory remarks, unfair treatment and some colleagues continued to refer to her as a male, which she found "very offensive and upsetting".

Neil Sheldon, acting for the MoD, said the Army had dealt with her transsexuality successfully, pointing out that she was not dismissed, and left with Long Service and Good Conduct medals.

But Miss Wingate said: "The Army made my career as difficult as it could for me. I got to the point where I was not there because of the Army, but in spite of the Army."

The Equal Opportunities Commission, which is supporting Miss Wingate's case, says transsexuals have legal protection against discrimination at work under the Gender Reassignment Regulations 1999.

The MoD said it would not comment on the case until the end of the hearing, but said all forms of discrimination were unacceptable in the Armed Forces.

The hearing was adjourned until Wednesday.