King Soopers is allowing a transgender pharmacist to wear women’s clothes at work, prompting her to drop her claims against the company.
Kim Dower, 51, notified both the Denver Anti-Discrimination Office and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday that she was withdrawing her complaints. She has been allowed to dress as a woman since May 4. Dower’s physician recently provided a letter verifying that she is going through a transgender identity disorder “and that she was at the appropriate phase,” King Soopers spokesman Trail Daugherty said.
Dower, who is biologically a man, filed the complaints last summer alleging that King Soopers’ demands for medical and psychological records amounted to discrimination and kept her from proceeding with the male-to-female reassignment process.
Individuals undergoing gender reassignment must dress as their target gender for a year before they are eligible to have surgery.
The Anti-Discrimination Office issued a finding of probable cause earlier this year, leading the two sides into compulsory mediation. Through that process, Dower’s attorney, John Hummel, provided an additional letter from Dower’s doctor.
Although the mediation did not result in a formal agreement, Dower showed up at work in a floor-length pleated black skirt and long-sleeved white shirt May 4. Her managers told her they had been expecting it and were OK with it, she said.
“I’m really pleased with how they’re handling this,” Dower said. “They’ve reached out to me, and I haven’t had any problems with customers. My co-workers have been wonderful all along.”
Two private bathrooms near the pharmacy were designated as unisex bathrooms, eliminating a previous concern raised by King Soopers attorneys.
Editor’s note: In cases of gender transition, The Denver Post respects the preferred gender in pronoun use.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at 303-820-1902 or karellano@denverpost.com.
