The article is just that. An article. An opinion. If the name on the lease agreement or rental agreement is Michael, and Michael has not legally changed his name in a court of law in the state where this takes place, then the landlord has every right to call the tenant the name given on the rental agreement. Yes, it is bullshit, and not Law. If Michael tries to sue because he is not being called Michelle, the judge will laugh him out of court.
This whole thread is not about that anyway. It is just novasteve having another hissy about transexuals.
Yeah, I see your point. It is a question and answer column. The person supplying the answer wrote:
If you continuously and intentionally call her by the name and pronoun that does not correspond to her gender identity, you may be liable for gender discrimination and unlawful harassment.
"You may be liable..." Kind of a threatening statement.
I would solve it easily. I wouldn't call the person by any name. I'd see them and just say, "Hi, how are you today?" No need to say "Hi, Michael" or "Hi, Michelle." That's how I'd get around it.
As for my other tenants who were upset I'd explain that the law was on Michael/Michelle's side and there was nothing I could do. Ask them to please stay and support me, and to let me know if Michael/Michelle did anything to violate the rules so I would have a legitimate basis to evict him/her.
Landlords aren't necessarily rich people, and having trouble renting out their apartments could cause them to be unable to pay their mortgage and end up losing their property.
This situation puts the landlord between a rock and a hard place. I can actually empathise with both sides in this dilemma. The landlord's also, not just the transgender person's side.