A local lingerie shop in Austin, Texas called Petticoat Fair has issued an apology following allegations of discrimination against a trans woman customer. Kylie Jack, a trans woman, wrote about the issue on her Facebook page, saying she was humiliated by a Petticoat Fair employee who asked for ID to confirm her gender identity, and said she needed to have surgery in order to have a fitting.
Advocates and allies took to Petticoat Fair's Facebook page to express concern over this discriminatory incident. Petticoat Fair's owner, Kirk Andrews, then responded with a problematic statement, which only further emphasized the store's misunderstanding about what it means to meet the needs of transgender customers.
As Jezebel pointed out, Andrews' explanation of why Jack was treated the way she was mirrored the rhetoric used to claim that transgender women should be denied access to women's restrooms. The apology received more than 400 comments on Facebook, many outlining the issues with Andrews's reasoning.
Andrews has posted several updates to Petticoat Fair's Facebook page since, saying that he had a productive meeting with Kylie Jack, and has a scheduled a meeting with members of the Transgender Education Network to discuss the matter further.
Jack released a statement last night, updating those who have been following the story. The full text of the statement is embeded below.
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