CHICAGO— The Chicago Transit Authority is completing training on gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination that was mandated in 2010 by the city's Commission on Human Relations, according an LGBT advocacy group.
The training began in May with more than 500 CTA managers taking part in a two-hour, in-person training session.
"The managerial trainings are scheduled to wrap up early next month," said Anthony Martinez, executive director of the Civil Rights Agenda, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer advocacy group that works for equal rights in Illinois.
More than 10,000 frontline workers, including train operators and bus drivers, will be required to watch a one-hour training video aimed at educating workers on gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination, he added.
"The Civil Rights Agenda and Columbia College Film School are producing the video for trainings later this year," Martinez said.
The training was designed by the Civil Rights Agenda in collaboration with the Gender and Sexuality Center at the University at Chicago, Affinity Community Services and Illinois States School Alliance.
Martinez has been working with the CTA for three years to implement a training program suitable to address the commission's ruling.
It was difficult at first, but the core group I'm working with now has really committed to this training program, Martinez said.
CTA President Forrest Claypool "sat through one of the two hour sessions recently and it just goes to show you that they are taking this seriously, in all aspects of operations," Martinez said.
The mandate stems from a complaint filed with the Commission on Human Rights against the CTA by an employee in 2006.
Four years later, on Oct. 20, 2010, the Commission issued its ruling acknowledging the CTA violated the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance by creating a pervasive hostile work environment against an employee who was not openly gay.
In its ruling, the commission levied fines totaling more than $90,000 against the CTA, the manager and employees involved.
In addition, the commission called for harassment training to address sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the workplace.
In 2011, initial training that the CTA offered its employees failed to meet the commission's deadline. In addition, the diversity and anti-harassment training was insufficient in addressing gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination, Martinez said.
The commission suggested the CTA work with the harassed employee's lawyers, Jacob Meister and Associates, to develop a training program that would sufficiently address LGBT workplace discrimination.
"There was a lot of resistance at first but the CTA has gone through a lot of management changes in the last year," Meister said.
The CTA "is more proactive now. There's a cultural shift, and it's a good thing. It's a good feeling to finally be moving forward," Meister added.
"A lot of people don't know these laws exists or the fact there is recourse for LGBT discrimination in the workplace," Martinez said.
"It happens everywhere, small businesses and even government agencies. It's important to put policy into action and educate people about these issues and the repercussions that come along with discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity," Martinez said.
In an email, CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski confirmed the CTA is working with Meister's firm and local organizations to train all its workers and develop additional material to complete the employee training.
"As a public agency with roughly 11,000 employees who serve or interact in some way with the 529-plus million who travel the system annually, we believe it’s important for everyone at the CTA to have a better understanding and sensitivity toward customers and colleagues," Hosinski said.
"By providing employee training on sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination and harassment, the CTA is helping to provide a better transit and work experience for everyone," Hosinski added.
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