Back in March, Make the Road New York was singling out J. Crew for discriminating against transgenders, after testing a number of retailers. Oddly, American Eagle wasn’t on the list of stores they sent us at the time, but today the Daily News reports that the organization has had a hand in impacting change at the retailer.
Through their findings, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has now forced the company to make changes, and they’ve signed a settlement deal promising to hold to them. Most notably, a rule that banned men from wearing women’s clothing and women from dressing like a man has now been erased from their employee handbook.
As for American Eagle, they said in a statement that agreeing to the settlement does not mean they are admitting to the findings the group presented to Cuomo; a rep said, "We wholeheartedly believe that transgender individuals should be treated equally." A member of Make The Road NY told the paper, "This shows me that there’s faith and hope. There might be a domino effect, that’s what I’m hoping for."
We’ve contacted the organization for an update on J. Crew (as well as other stores they found instances of discrimination at), and will update when we hear back.