South Korea transgender soldier to sue

over dismissal
 22 January 2020  Share this with Facebook
 
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Media captionByun Hui-soo says she will fight to remain a soldier

A transgender soldier in South Korea says she will sue the army after it dismissed her for violating
regulations following her sex change.

Byun Hui-soo, 22, joined the army as a man but had gender reassignment surgery last year after suffering from
gender dysphoria and mental health issues.

She accused the military of "deep-rooted intolerance" of sexual minorities.

South Korea remains conservative on matters of sexual identity.

Ms Byun's case has led to debate over the treatment of transgender soldiers as well as those from the wider
LGBT community.
 'She said I don't need a son like you'
 South Korea soldier: 'Criminal because I'm gay'

All able-bodied South Korean men are required to carry out military service for nearly two years.
What did Byun Hui-soo say?
During an emotional 45-minute appearance, the staff sergeant said she had wanted to stay in the army after her
operation, which took place in Thailand in November.

"I will continue to fight until the day I can remain to serve in the army. I'll challenge the decision until the end,
to the Supreme Court," she said.

She had not planned on having gender reassignment surgery, she said, but was recommended to do so by
doctors at a military hospital where she was sent after suffering mental health problems. They arose from
gender dysphoria - defined as distress from the internal conflict between physical gender and gender identity.

"It was an extremely difficult decision to let my base know of my identity, but once I did, I felt much better,"
she said.

"I thought I would finish serving in the army and then go through the transition surgery and then re-enter the
army as a female soldier. But my depression got too severe," she added.

Ms Byun said she had not expected to be forced to leave the army. Her superior officers had visited her in
hospital and had been discussing where she would be redeployed after her treatment, she said.

They had suggested she could become a role model for LGBT people in the armed forces, she said.

"Apart from my gender identity, I want to show everyone that I can also be one of the great soldiers who
protect this country," she added.

What has the military said?

In its ruling, the military said the case "constitutes a reason for being unable to continue service".

A defence ministry spokesman told AFP news agency that the soldier had been undergoing tests at a military
hospital, which classified the loss of male genitals as a mental or physical handicap. That prompted a panel
review of her service. The military does not have regulations governing the service of transgender soldiers.

The military statement added that it was determined to avoid "unfair discrimination and treatment".
Image copyrightAFPImage captionSouth Korean men are required to serve in the military for nearly two years

But Lim Tae-hoon from the Center for Military Human Rights said Ms Byun's discharge was unusual because
it was effective the day after the decision was made. Usually they are effective after a period of up to three
months, he said. It suggested that the army did not want Ms Byun to have contact with her unit, Mr Lim said.

An army official who was aware of the case told Reuters news agency there should be no reason for the
military to deny Ms Byun if she reapplied to serve in the female corps after legally becoming a woman.

How are attitudes towards transgender people in South

Korea?
In South Korea, being LGBT is often seen as a disability or a mental illness, or by powerful conservative
churches as a sin, and there are no anti-discrimination laws in the country.
In Ms Byun's case, anti-LGBT campaigners had attempted to identify her online. They also held
demonstrations urging the military to dismiss her after news about the case emerged and have called for further
demonstrations.

Rights groups that have taken up her cause have been accused of tarnishing the military's image.

However BBC Korean's Hyung Eun Kim says that the rise of events such as LGBT parades shows attitudes in
the country are changing, albeit slowly.

Rights groups have also previously expressed concern about the way South Korea treats gay soldiers. They are
banned from engaging in sexual contact and can face up to two years in prison if caught. Gay sex is not illegal
in civilian life.

Media captionGay South Korean soldier: "I'm constantly afraid"

Where in the world can transgender soldiers serve?

They could in the US, until President Donald Trump banned certain transgender people from the military. The
ban was upheld by the Supreme Court last January although legal challenges have been continuing in
lower courts.

The policy prohibits "transgender persons who require or have undergone gender transition" from serving.

Mr Trump announced on Twitter in 2017 that the ban was needed due to "tremendous medical costs and
disruption".
 How many transgender people are in US military?
 The secret life of a transgender airman
 There are nearly 9,000 active duty transgender troops, non-profit groups say.

The move reversed Obama administration policy that ruled transgender Americans could serve openly in the
military as well as obtain funding for gender reassignment surgery.
In the UK, transgender people are able to serve openly in the military. Last June a transgender former army
officer was awarded a medal for services to the LGBT community in the military.

Other countries to allow transgender people to serve openly include many Western European countries,
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Israel and Bolivia.

Burnout: 'Sick and tired of feeling sick

and tired'
By Zoe KleinmanTechnology reporter, BBC News
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"I was working non-stop. The company was almost like a love affair. I call it 'my greatest love affair',
because it felt so, so important.

"My identity was so wrapped up with work. If I wasn't doing that job, I didn't really know who I was."

In 2017, Amber Coster was a glamorous highflyer in a senior role at a successful tech start-up, in her late 20s
and travelling the world.

"On paper, my life looked incredible," she says.

But she was ignoring some significant signs that all was not well.

"I used to say I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired," Amber says.
And in addition to chronic fatigue and nausea, she was having migraines, extreme abdominal pain, skin rashes
and eczema. Her GP diagnosed a recurrence of teenage glandular fever. And Amber, who lives in London,
took two weeks off work to recover.

But things got worse.

"I lost my words - I couldn't speak properly," she says. "I'd sit at dinner with my partner and ask him to 'pass
the post' instead of 'the water'. I couldn't read numbers. I couldn't walk down to the shops - I'd have to sit down
on somebody's garden wall."

As the two weeks off turned into six months, doctors carried out countless tests. One told her she had the
blood-test results of "a 20-year-old Olympian".

"I just cried," she says. "I knew that there was something wrong and I felt crazy."

What the doctors didn't know - and Amber herself hadn't confronted - was she had been working extremely
hard. She had regularly been getting up at 05:30 to send emails, working through until 23:30, when she fell
into bed, and cancelling weekend plans in order to do yet more work - all the while telling her team to ensure
they made time to relax.

Nobody had said anything to her about her own routine. Even when she had made an effort to spend fewer
hours working, she had felt unable to switch off.

She describes the company, where she had been a senior manager, as "a very aggressive, high-sales, revenue-
first organisation". Its product was software enabling other businesses to run 24-7 and Amber says she had felt
like she was becoming a part of the tech herself.

"We spoke about greatness a lot. And we spoke about 'lion culture'.

"We spoke about being strong and we spoke about being brave and doing things that other people don't do. We
spoke about being 'exceptional'."

Eventually, after she turned to a psychiatrist, Amber realised it was her mental health rather than her body that
was, in her words, "broken".

Media captionHow to spot if you are suffering 'burnout'

Physical symptoms of burnout are a common warning sign, sleep expert and author Dr Nerina Ramlakhan
says.

"I've seen a great deal of this - and I'm seeing more and more of it. The way in which we're using technology
and information and screens puts us very much 'in our head'.
"If we were paying more attention to what's happening in the body and getting off that mental treadmill, we
would notice the niggles, the little aches and pains, the little early warning signals long before they become
huge, great crescendos and screams for help."

Dr Ramlakhan advises taking screen breaks, however small, as often as possible - on the commute, in the
bathroom, at lunch, keeping phones out of bedrooms at night, alongside healthy eating and going to bed at a
reasonable time.

"Little things like that can start to make a difference after seven to 10 days," she says.

Dr Ramlakhan's spiral of burnout

 Step 1: Constant feelings of pressure and anxiety; a feeling of having too much to do; waking up with
it in the pit of your stomach, starting the day with coffee and your phone
 Step 2: You stop taking breaks during the day; you start working longer hours, you're taking work
home with you; your work spills over into your weekend, your family time; you're even sitting on the toilet
working
 Step 3: Physical symptoms will bubble up: this might be headaches and migraines, or irritable bowel,
or cold sores or lots of little niggling colds, which just don't go away, or aches and pains in the body
 Step 4: Until now your work is probably unaffected but your behaviour may become more erratic,
more impatient, more arguments with colleagues, you are more tetchy, irritable, you may make more
mistakes or become irrationally perfectionist; you feel unable to delegate anything; you might start to have
very serious muscular-skeletal problems, back problems, neck and shoulder problems
 Step 5: Clients might start to complain; then, you hit rock bottom, serious burnout, serious anxiety,
depression, serious medical problems, and that's where you could be signed off

Amber recovered and returned to her job.

She started doing some coaching around mental health and colleagues began to open up to her: the father who
felt unable to talk about his children in the office because he feared it was a distraction; the woman whose
marriage was failing because she wasn't spending time with her partner; others who felt unwell but worried
they simply "weren't tough enough".

But when she discussed making changes at the company at a senior level, she was met with a mixed response.
On the one hand, they cared about the staff, she says, but on the other, they believed her experience was
uncommon and most people "needed a bit more of a push" to get their jobs done.

Amber has now left her old company, bought a house, got married, run a marathon and started her own
company, Balpro - with a mission to "help businesses balance aggressive revenue goals with employee
wellbeing".

"I used to believe that 'exceptional' was making sure that PowerPoint [presentation] was perfect, or we were
getting that deal, or that this training was above the bar," she says.

"What I now realise is that exceptional is finishing work and having dinner with your kids, or being present for
a friend who's in need. Exceptional is standing up and saying, 'Hey, I need some help.'"
Mental fitness
Tech may be part of the "always-on" problem but entrepreneur Jana Dowling believes it could also hold the
solution.

A serious mental-health crisis inspired her new app, designed to help people track their mental health in the
same way they might track their diet, weight or workouts, and look for correlations in data between, for
example, anxiety levels and sleep, or caffeine consumption and work stress.

Image copyrightDANIEL GARDINER/TWISTY IMAGESImage captionJana Dowling wants people to track

their mental health

The app, MyArkeo, has received over £1m ($1.2m) in investment.

"We're here to change the way people think about what it means to be fit, to include tracking their mental
fitness," she says.

It is aimed primarily at 25- to 40-year-old professionals.

And the questions asked by MyArkeo can be answered only once a day, in order to avoid additional anxiety or
encourage excessive screen time.

"We're not a diagnosing tool. We're not a treatment tool," Jana says.

"We're built as a tracking-performance tool to help people enhance their lives and their mental fitness."

Sumner, Francis Cecil

Francis Cecil Sumner was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in
psychology, which he earned from Clark University in 1920. He was an
official abstractor for Psychological Bulletin and the Journal of Social
Psychology, established an independent psychology program at Howard
University, and is widely credited as founding the field of Black
psychology.
1895 - 1954

Sumner's Contributions
 First Black to receive a Ph.D. in Psychology
 In his lifetime, Sumner made many contributions to the
education of black people, including establishing an
independent department of psychology at Howard University,
 Sumner challenged his students to work hard and under his
guidance they received a quality education . One such student
was Kenneth Bancroft Clark. Clark's psychological research
on prejudice, discrimination and segregation in the
developing child was used in the 1954 Supreme Court case
Brown v. The Board of Education.
 At the West Virginia Collegiate Institute, Sumner created a
prestigious award that was given to a psychology student with
the most outstanding essay on a particular topic.
 Sumner was an official abstractor for both the Journal of
Social Psychology and the Psychological Bulletin.
 Sumner was a member and contributed to numerous
organizations. They include:The American Psychological
Association, American Association for the Advancement of
Science, American Educational Research Association, Eastern
Psychological Association, Southern Society for Philosophy
and Psychology, and The District of Columbia Psychological
Association.
  Sumner was a member of Psi Chi, Pi Gamma Mu, and Kappa
Alpha Psi.
 Sumner did vast amounts of research concerning equality and
justice between Blacks and Whites. For example, he studied
the attitudes of Blacks and Whites towards the administration
of justice with the goal of administering justice on a more
democratic basis.

Women’s Human Rights and Forms of

Discrimination
Sally

Women are entitled to all human rights and to be free from discrimination. That is what the
UNWomen group stands behind. Globally, 143 countries out of 195 have accepted the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and
guarantee equality between women and men in their constitutions as of 2014.

CEDAW Treaty Adopted by the United Nations General

Assembly
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was
adopted on 18 December 1979. In 1891, after the 20th country to implement the
 convention, it was ratified. Eight years later, nearly 100 countries agreed to follow the
legal framework protecting women’s rights. The Convention consists of 6 Parts each
focusing on non-discrimination, sex stereotypes, sex trafficking, women’s rights with
emphasis on politics, economics, and social rights, equality to marriage and family life.

What Is the Meaning of Discrimination for Women?

The effect of women discrimination can be encouraged through acts which result in women
being restrained the right of recognition of pre-existing gender-based disadvantage. It
could be non-intended or indirectly discriminated. On the other side, the omission of acts
related to women’s rights can be a disposition for a failure to take the necessary lawful
measures, to adopt and implement policies aimed at gender equality. It can be an obstacle
to enforce appropriate laws. A practical example will be a job description requiring a
professional who has experience in various news desks including crime. The law does not
allow women to serve on a crime desk due to safety concerns. Furthermore, no women can
meet the job description requirements. For instance, the Irish government has a separate
division that pays attention to gender equality issues and promotes the female
representation at work, in politics, in public affairs, company boards. They also fight
against violence and engage with women to strengthen their voice in the government.

Numerous Forms of Discrimination Are Present

Discriminative factors are not all the same for every female representative. So, the side-
effects are experienced differently. Multiple forms of discrimination can be based on place
of birth, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, economic and social
status, race, and many other factors. Here are some of the most common forms of
discrimination and how they impair women’s lives.

 Nationality:
In more than 60 countries, women are denied the right to acquire, change or retain their
nationality.

Impact: They don’t have the same citizenship rights as men including the right to vote,
work, own land and property and have access to education and health care

 Employment
Research of 83 countries displays that in most of them, women earn between 10% and
30% less than the male workforce for the same position.

Impact: Higher poverty rates amongst women, low chances for savings, and investments.
Vulnerability to external political, economic and social crises. Likely to get a lower paid job
and insecure employment.

 Politics
Only 22% of parliamentary seats on a global scale are represented by women.
Impact: Policies affecting the society are decided upon without considering women’s needs
or without having another gender perspective, which may not-intended neglect female
society.

Dec 17
2018
Quality of Work Life at a Casino
Sally

The casino industry is a service industry and

like all service industries, it is trying to sell you a service that is of high quality and one
that brings entertainment and satisfaction. However, one aspect that is rarely talked about
is the view from the other side – what we are referring to here is the perspective of the
employees on the other end of the service. These are your friendly dealers, who are
patient with you, take your bets, and follow your game for as long as you want. A recent
article published by sciencedirect.com recently released a publication on working at a
casino in the context of  quality of work life  (QWL). QWL is important in all careers, not just
in casinos. However, sciencedirect.com decided to explore this topic within the context of
casinos as this subject has remained ‘untouched’. We will explore four areas of QWL being
related to human resources policies, work-group relationship, job characteristics, and the
physical working environment. The study interviewed 40 employees and their answers are
collated in a brief summary below.
Regarding the first area of QWL – human resources policies – employees stated that they
would like to receive adequate and fair pay, fringe benefits, as well as rewards and
incentives. They also indicated that they would like fair and clear promotion criteria as well
as career advancement opportunities. In addition to this, they sought on-the-job training as
well as staff activities which would improve cooperation and teamwork.

The second area of QWL – work-group relationship focused on cooperation as the main
facet involved. Here, casino employees are seeking cooperation with their management in
carrying out their activities. Respect and recognition were other factors identified under
this category, as was care and support. Employees also indicated that they sought
adequate supervision and importantly, open channels of communication.
The third area of QWL – job characteristics dealt with the fact that employees sought more
rest time and regular shift work. The pressure of working at a casino is high and the
demands of the job are great. Often, very long hours are put in by employees, which
means they often end up being exhausted. A call for regular shift work is, therefore, an
important concern that they raised.

The final attribute of QWL relates to the physical working environment. Here, employees
expressed the need to choose their work area as some form of being autonomous would
help them in carrying out their functions better. The second aspect of consideration under
this sub-heading of QWL related to better rest areas. This refers to the physical
environment for employees when taking breaks. They obviously do not have great access
to a quality physical environment and providing access to such would help in ensuring
better QWL.

If you’re interested in  working in the casino industry , there are several requirements you
need to fulfil. First of all, you must be either 18 or 21 years old (depending on your state
and country). Casinos also require a minimum of a high school education and they will
also put you through a background check as a result of the large amounts of money being
handled at casinos. Finally, you need to obtain a gaming license, which will entail the
filling out of forms, payment of fees, and the completion of an application form.
The working environment in a casino can be very high-stress at times due to the fast-
paced nature of the work. Although this might be suitable for some candidates, not
everyone thrives under this environment. You should also consider the fact that casinos
are very noisy and that you’re likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke. Moreover, the
work can be physically demanding, and you should also remember that employees will
work nights, weekends, as well as holidays. If you feel that you’re ready to tackle these
challenges head on, then this type of job is right for you!

Jun 25
2018
Gender Inequality with Pro Gambling Players –
Does It Exist?
Sally
 Short answer – yes.

Well, we are off to an explosive beginning, so let me elaborate a little bit. There is gender
inequality in the world of pro casino players – just as in most sports.

The casino world has always been targeted at a mostly male audience, with strict gender-
archetype roles for women that usually push them to the other side of the gaming table as
croupiers. However, such a division cannot exist in the modern world – don’t imagine that
it’s all good will, it’s simply the fact that (most) casinos recognise the fact that females
constitute a large part of their paying customers.

Since more and more women are getting the chance to try their hand at casino games –
and enjoy them! – it is perfectly natural that there would be some of them that try to make
the leap to professional gambling. However, you have to keep in mind that this is one of
the traditional ‘male’ fields of expertise – which means that pioneers are up for a fight.

And this fight has already passed – and been won! Nowadays, there is a much wider
acceptance of female pro players. In fact, gambling games are somewhat unique since it is
not a physical sport. This means that there is a level playing field for both men and women
– as you well know, the differences in physique make many sports unsuited for either men
or women. This is perfectly natural, and people have to be comfortable with the limitations
that their bodies impose.

However, casino games are different. They are based on skill, and this means that women
have a chance. Misconceptions and gender stereotypes are the main things that can hold
you back if you want to become a gambling pro. The games themselves can be conquered
perfectly fine. Of course, you should keep in mind that most of my experience is strictly
limited to poker and blackjack, the main card games. My story might not be overly
inspirational, but just take a look at someone like  Cat Hulbert – a woman who has climbed
to the very top of the poker and blackjack worlds.
There are many other examples for famous female poker and blackjack players – there
were quite a few even in the  MIT Blackjack team, the most successful group to ever take
on the system! – but the fact of the matter is that they are  fewer. This is especially evident
during different pro tournaments, where it becomes evident that the total number of female
players is 4-6 times smaller than the number of male players.
But we already said that gambling games provide a unique level field between men and
women – so what is the reason behind this disparity? In my next few posts, I will discuss
the psychological issue that is at play here, and the influence of societal preconceptions
on the path of the female pro player.

Jun 18
2018
Welcome to APA Division 44: The Podium to
Speak Out About Gender Equality at the
Casino!
Sally

Welcome to my blog!

I am starting a little project that will focus on

the topic of gender equality in the casino industry – or more likely gender (in)equality! This
question has been smouldering for quite a while now, and people can finally see the
smoke rising.
Gambling is one of the most controversial forms of entertainment on the planet but
disapproving of it will not make it go away. Men – and women! – all over the world love the
excitement of casino games. Some do it responsibly, others – not so much. However, you
should look beyond the fun aspects of gambling, as it is also a growing industry, especially
with the advent of online casino that can easily be accessed through your PC. There are
many people working in casinos to provide is with good times, but there are also pro
players that make their livelihood from pro tournaments in different games.

These are the two aspects of gender inequality in the casino industry that I would like to
focus on. As a female poker player, and later on a croupier, I’ve been on both sides of the
barricade. If you intend to follow the discussions on this blog with the hope of hearing me
slag off casinos and spout general feministic mottos, then perhaps you should look
elsewhere – I will aim at giving a balanced look on the matter, and there are a lot of
positive trends to speak about.

For the average gambling fan, the most that they would hear would be about the huge
disparity in the number of male and female pro gambling players. The best players and the
richest punters you would hear about are all male – but this doesn’t mean that the
gambling industry is closed for the playing woman! In fact, the number of competing
women seems to be increasing.

Sadly, things are not the same on a professional level for those that are interested in
climbing up the casino hierarchy – and we’ll be discussing that too.

Sally