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# 'Humiliated': Trans man wins discrimination case after workplace outed him as trans against his will
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/humiliated-trans-man-wins-discrimination-case-after-workplace-outed-him-as-trans-against-his-will/
- Published: 2026-09-18T10:29:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-18T10:31:08.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Trans Rights

A trans social worker has been awarded A$35,000 (£17,000) in damages after a tribunal found that a recruitment process used by Australia's **New South Wales Health Service** effectively outed him as trans against his will.

The **NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal** ruled that the worker, known only as **HGY**, was subjected to indirect discrimination when he was required to confirm his former name, often referred to as a deadname, as part of an internal job application process.

The tribunal heard that HGY, who transitioned in 2012 and changed his first and middle names from traditionally female names to male ones, received a phone call from a colleague in June 2023 asking him to verify the names he had been given at birth.

The call came while he was being considered for a temporary role within the health service. HGY said he had not been warned that colleagues involved in recruitment would be able to see his former names and was unaware that all internal applicants were subject to a "Former Name Check" requirement.

The tribunal heard that when he first joined the health service in 2020, he had provided his previous names for legitimate background checks, including a police check and Working With Children clearance. However, he said he had never been told that those details could later be disclosed to colleagues during internal recruitment processes.

HGY told the tribunal that only a small number of people in his life knew he was trans and that even members of his wife's family were unaware. He described feeling "humiliated" by the experience and said the prospect of being outed at work left him feeling anxious and distressed.

The tribunal accepted evidence that the disclosure had a significant impact on his mental health, including panic attacks, breathing difficulties and elevated heart rates. It found that complying with the requirement created a genuine risk that he could be involuntarily outed as a transgender man to colleagues.

In its judgment, the tribunal said it accepted HGY's evidence that he feared discrimination, invasive questioning, workplace gossip and potential abuse if his transgender history became known.

"We accept his evidence that for him to comply with the requirement, it would infringe his dignity and sense of personal privacy," the tribunal found.

The panel also concluded that the former name checks served little practical purpose for existing employees who had already undergone the necessary background screening. It found that any required verification could instead be handled confidentially through human resources without exposing an applicant's previous names to colleagues.

Expert witness Dr **Robin Ladwi**g told the hearing that deadnaming can have a profound impact on trans people's wellbeing. The tribunal heard evidence that chosen names play an important role in gender affirmation and are associated with improved mental health outcomes for trans and gender-diverse people.

Trans rights advocates have long argued that privacy protections are essential for transgender people in the workplace, warning that involuntary outing can expose individuals to discrimination, harassment and significant emotional distress.