SF, SD, LA city attorneys ask Uber to explain trans policies after complaints
Uber is coming under fire from three California city attorneys after transgender drivers shared stories of being deadnamed or banned from the rideshare company's platforms with no recourse."Transgender and gender nonconforming drivers should not have to put themselves in danger or navigate a bureaucratic nightmare just to make a living," San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu stated in a news release . "Shielding drivers from workplace violence and ensuring equal opportunity to work are non-negotiable.
We look forward to engaging with Uber to ensure that the company has adequate protections and policies in place for transgender drivers."Uber is headquartered in San Francisco — in what used to be Chiu's Assembly district before he was appointed city attorney last year.
He was joined in the letter by San Diego City Attorney Mara W. Elliott and Los Angeles City Attorney Michael N. Feuer.The controversy began after the Los Angeles Times published a story late last year reporting that trans people whose government-issued documents are discongruous with their gender identities have had problems getting recourse.The LA Times reported that some drivers were permanently banned after the company treated their documents as fraudulent.The letter asks Uber about its fraud prevention policies; what options are available for individualized reviews when fraud is suspected; what its policies are with regard to allowing trans people's chosen names to be displayed in lieu of legal names; and what the process is for Uber drivers who are transitioning to have photos or names displayed to the public changed."Uber talks a good game when it comes to LGBTQ equality but when the rubber meets the road, they appear to be failing transgender.
