Transgender Told to Dress Like a Man To Find Work
Eighteen months ago, Andrew Cook was laid off from a construction job and began collecting unemployment benefits. Last February, Cook—who has felt like a female since age 6 and has been cross-dressing for decades—started gender-reassignment treatment and began living as Tina.
Tina a former builder in the process of having a sex swap has hit out at a Jobcentre for telling her to dress as a man to find work.
Tina formerly a builder
Tina Cook, 54 – until last year a burly tattooed labourer known as Andrew – called the remarks “insensitive”. She said she must dress as a woman every day as a condition of her gender realignment treatment.
Ms Cook, who is supported by wife Vaudine, 49, said: “I have been living in the wrong body all my life.
“I have only recently summoned the courage to be the way I want. I don’t go to the Jobcentre for disrespect and abuse.”
Tina happier dressed as a woman
She said staff at her local Jobcentre in Darlington, Co Durham, told her to dress as man to boost her job prospects. She also claimed they called her “darling”. She said: “They wink at me and say it. I know they are making fun.
“They try to make me go to interviews for waitress jobs at posh restaurants but my arms are covered in tattoos. There’s no chance I’d get those jobs.”
Ms Cook has had around 30 unsuccessful interviews, mainly for kitchen and cleaning jobs.
A spokesman for the U.K. Department for Work and Pensions said “the Jobcentre is committed to providing fair treatment to all individuals and we are aware of this complaint and are investigating.”
Tina and his/her estranged wife Vaudine
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