1878496

49.0 LGBTQ COMMUNITY Page 1 of 5 EDGEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER # 49.0 LGBTQ COMMUNITY Effective Date: December 16, 2019 The purpose of this policy is to state the department’s commitment to providing equitable opportunities in hiring, promotion, and other workplace conditions in accordance with the law and to promote a professional work environment for all department members, and to establish guidelines for the appropriate, saf e, and dignified interactions with LGBTQ individuals by members of the Edgewood Police Department . This General Order consists of the following numbered sections: I. Policy II. Definitions III. Procedures IV. LGBTQ Liaison Officer I. POLICY It is the policy of the Edgewood Police Department to treat all individuals with dignity, respect, professionalism, and provide a workplace that is free from discrimination. II. DEFINITION S A. Gender Expression - An individual’s public manifestation of being male or female through external characteristics and behaviors such as clothing, hairstyle, body characteristics, voice and speech patterns. Gender Expression is determined by using stereotypical notions of wh at it means to appear as a man or a woman, masculine or feminine. B. Gender Identity - An individual’s internal sense of being male or female, or something not defined by traditional definitions of male or female. C. Gender Non -conforming - Refers to people who do not follow other people’s ideas or stereotypes about how they should look or act based on the female or male sex they are assigned at birth. D. LGBTQ - A common abbreviation that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning. E. Legitima cy- Refers to the authenticity and veracity of the subject’s gender transition and/or identification. 49.0 LGBTQ COMMUNITY Page 2 of 5 F. Transgender - People with a gender identity that is different from the sex assigned to them at birth. G. Transgender Female - A person whose gender at birth w as male, but identifies and lives as a female. Such persons should be addressed using feminine pronouns (i.e. she, her, and hers). H. Transgender Male - A person whose gender at birth was female, but identifies and lives as a male. Such persons should be addre ssed using masculine pronouns (i.e. he, him, and his). I. Transition - The process of changing one’s gender from the sex assigned at birth to one’s gender identity. III. Procedures A. Transition on the Job 1. A member considering transitioning shall meet with their chain of command to develop a plan regarding day -to-day operational and administrative policy issues, which may arise during the transition. 2. Every member is unique and the individual preferences of one person may be different than the preference s of another. 3. A transition plan may contain standard issues to discuss; however, plans may be customized to fit the individual transitioning member. 4. If a member desires to develop a transition plan it may include but not be limited to: a. Determining the date, if known, when the member will change his or her gender expression, name, and pronouns. b. Discussing the use of restroom and locker room facilities and determine the preferences of the member. c. Discussing agency records, identifica tion cards, transitioning on the job, or other related issues. Department ’ staff shall assist a member with the appropriate changes in databases (e.g. CAD, eForce ). B. Privacy 1. Personal information may be confidential and should only be shared with agency p ersonnel who have a need to know and a right to know the information to perform their jobs. 2. Under Florida’s Public Records law, some information gathered or recorded in a transition plan or other Agency documentation may be subject to public disclosure. C. Appearance and Dress Standards Members shall conform to the appearance and grooming standards outlined in the Edgewood Police Department that corresponds with the member’s legitimate gender identity. D. Addressing Individuals 1. Members shall address a transgen der individual using the person’s clearly stated gender identity, including preferred name and appropriate 49.0 LGBTQ COMMUNITY Page 3 of 5 pronouns. Members who are unsure which pronoun is appropriate shall respectfully ask the transgender person which they prefer. 2. If a person has not clearly stated their gender identity, but the person’s intended gender presentation is reasonably clear based on attire and other cues, the individual shall be treated in accordance with their expressed gender. 3. If a person’s self -identified or expressed gender is unclear, the officer should make a determination based on any other available information. Gender information on government -issued identification and other documents may be used as presumptive evidence of gender identity only in the absence of s elf-identification by the individual or some other obvious expression of gender identity. 4. Officers shall avoid unnecessary personal questions regarding an individual’s anatomy or sexual history. E. Names Transgender members shall use their legal name on official documents and when placed under oath or swearing to the contents of a report, affidavit or other sworn document. Should the member elect to have a legal name change, the member shall advise depart ment and City Hall staff as soon as the member knows the date of the official change and shall then update their name in all member controlled databases. F. Restroom/Locker Room Accessibility All members have a right to safe and appropriate