Humiliated! Man says he was mocked for being gay by Woolies employees
Rico Zaaiman
A Johannesburg man claims he was ridiculed by Woolworths employees for being gay while shopping at the chain store’s Lifestyle Crossing branch in Strubens Valley.
Rico Zaaiman, a marketing executive, wrote in a letter to the company that he popped into the shop on Monday evening when the incident took place.
“As I left the store I had a feeling to look back over my shoulder and noticed that one of your employees was mocking me by pretending to walk like a woman and pretending to carry a hand bag,” said Zaaiman.
He wrote that another staff member “also laughed” at the man’s discriminatory actions. “As a very effeminate gay person I must deal with this sort of nonsense daily from people on the street [but] what I will not tolerate is being mocked by an employee of your establishment.”
Zaaiman explained to Mambaonline that he walked back into the store and confronted the employee. “I told him that I cannot believe that he is behaving like this and demanded to speak to his manager. One staff member asked me what happened. I explained the matter and she told him to apologise.”
The staff member did apologise to Zaaiman, but he has not accepted it. “He gave a half assed apology. I got the distinct impression he is just saying sorry because he got caught, not because he meant it.”
The manager reportedly expressed his shock that one of his staff members would act in such a manner and told Zaaiman that he “would deal with it”.
To make the entire situation even worse, however, while complaining to the staff about his treatment, some customers then began to laugh at Zaaiman.
“I felt humiliated. I got in my car and sat crying,” said an emotional Zaaiman. “I am used to being stared at and I am used to people sneering at me. I have accepted that as part of who I am, being so effeminate, but I will not tolerate this from a brand.”
Zaaiman is not interested in apologies from Woolworths and has decided to stop supporting the company. “It has been a rather painful experience, especially when I realised it was a brand that I kept close at heart,” he added.
What he would like Woolworths to commit to do, however, is to ensure that its staff members, and especially the employee in question, undergo LGBTI sensitisation training.
“He should be put in a programme that teaches people about LGBTI communities. And as part of that he should work in his own time in a programme that reaches out to this community,” Zaaiman said.
“I am different, and I celebrate my uniqueness. My clients, bosses, staff and friends love the fact that I do not fit into a particular norm. People who do not know me or people that are like me, do not understand us. What makes it harder is that fact that we have to deal with this particular brand of vileness every single day. You get branded as some ‘thing’ that deserves scorn and are to be treated with disdain.”
At the time of writing, Woolworths had not yet responded to Zaaiman’s complaint.
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Hi there. The kind of behaviour described in this article is extremely distressing and entirely out of keeping with the values of Woolworths as a company. Please be assured that we are investigating as a matter of urgency.
That’s what you always say and then do nothing about the matter. It is time you accounted for this vile ethos you perpetuate. I am also a victim of transphobia at the hands of your employees and nothing has been done to this point after promising to ‘investigate’ and get back to me nearly 4 months ago!
Absolutely unacceptable behaviour from a member of Woolworth’s Staff.
Ek is baie jammer oor jou ‘seer’. Dit is onaanvaarvaar. Ek wil graag noem dat die Woolies waar ek koop, ek bedien word deur ‘n jongman wat ook ‘verfynd’ is.
Moontlik moet daar nie veralgemeen word.
Ek glo dat die persoon wat jou seergemaak het, ernstig aangespreek sal word en hopelik verwyder word , sodat hy nie met die publiek werk nie.
Ek geniet my Woolies.
Groetnis.
Audrey Thom
Terrible. When I was younger I was also intimidated for being too camp. It still haunts me. Specifically that people mock you, stare, or think that you’re a clown and funny. “Oh, you must meet my ‘gay’ friend Herman, he’s such a tonic.” It makes me sick. We live in a hyper-masculine society, divided by stereotypes dictating how males and females should behave. Socialised nonsense endorsed when one is a child: Boys wear blue, girls wear pink. I also have a problem with the word ‘gay’. I’m certainly not gay as in hahahaha. I’m pissed off and angry. Specifically about incidents like this. ‘Gay’, I ask you!
I had an experience like that at woolworths clearwater. My partner and I went to the cashier to pay, and she turned to her colleague and said something in an African language at which point the colleague turned and looked at us and they laughed but because I could not understand what was said I couldn’t do anything.
Not surprising at all. The SA population are generally the 20 percenters that are the scum of the earth.
I think if the Woolies manager allows that type of thing they should fire all staff that took place its time to put a stop to these Wolies staff you don’t find it atWolies at Vincent so I hope the manager will tell us what action is he going to do its shocking
If Woolworths wants to serve a higher level of clientele it can expect to be evaluated at a higher level of quality and service. An apology should not be brushed off with a gift card as if your paying for the issue vanish. Perhaps those employees should be sent to a discrimination awareness training seminar. One can argue that all should but not all employees participate in discrimination.
Rico, I know it’s tough, and very hurtful, but you have to keep your chin up. What truly means something is that Woolworths as a company was prepared to apologise, express empathy and promise to deal with it. I just hope that they deal with it in a satisfactory way. My partner and I were turned away at a guesthouse in Wolseley (near Cape Town) in 2014, and called terrible and disgusting things not appropriate for any dignified conversation. Fortunately we won our case against them. The hurt remains though, to this day I no longer feel completely at ease going to a restaurant, hotel, guesthouse etc for fear of it happening again. So, what I’m trying to say is, I empathise completely with how you feel and the hurt.
Dit het presies ook met my gebeur by woolies N1 sentrum 5 jaar trug.nog nooit weer my voet in n woolies gesit nie sal ook nie.ek weet waar deur jy gaan.sterkte
I’m appalled and disappointed. I too hold this brand close to my heart, but after this incident (and hearing of similar stories) we have decided to not support the brand any more. And not only just my wife and I. But also our children, our families and we are talking to our circle of friends expressing our distrust in the brand. I am keen to see Mrs Woolworths getting her act together and appointing a change management position where teaching happens within the company to change the illegal and outright rude behaviour of her employees. Education is key. It is this kind of behaviour that perpetuates violence against members of the LGBTQI community. As a community we will not just sit down and allow this.
To the gentleman in the situation and others commenting here and the personal stories I heard from friends. I’m sorry you had to endure this. I, for one, will fight for you. We cannot allow this pain anymore. Enough. Woolworths. Get it together.
Whilst it is totally wrong how you were treated, to vilify the whole of Woolworths is unfair too. Not everyone who works there did this to you. Take action against those responsible.
thanks for confronting the little shit & not just being a victim…