Quoted By:
My parents forced me to work and pay them rent. Minimum Wage in California is 15$ an hour (before taxes). That's less money in 1 hour then a large pizza costs due to state and hot food taxes (17$). But I would be kicked out otherwise, despite my chronic mental illness. I applied for the Dollar Tree. In my application I put I was Trans, used they/them pronouns, and had experience in social marketing. They interviewed and hired me. What comes next gave me permanent mental trauma.
• I was constantly misgendered by customers, and staff. Bigots would call management to complain that I used the women's bathroom. Management did nothing because it's illegal in California to do so.
• Homeless people used the bathrooms to do drugs, and would shit on the floor. I had to clean it up. I was used to the smell since San Francisco is the only city in America that uses tax dollars to clean the fecal matter all over the streets. I picked turds up with a trash bag like picking up after a dog. It was worse when it wasn't solid.
• I was blamed for PoC stealing items. The manager yelled at ME and said "Cops in California can't arrest them if they steal less than $500", and I had to "stop people from stealing or we can't afford to keep me hired".
• A Latinx said the pasta they bought had bugs in it. I refunded them, but they wanted free shit AND a refund, I said I couldn't and they hurled slurs at me. I called him/them a Transphobic Uncle Tom. They threw the pasta at my face. Before I recovered, they jumped over the counter and kicked my vagina, which was recovering from surgery. He ran out as I laid on the ground, sobbing.
• Finally, the Dollar Tree announced they no longer sold items for 1$ due to inflation. From there on, I was yelled at by customers daily because everything at DOLLAR Tree cost more than 1$.
I ended up quitting. My bigoted parents say I have to find a new job or will kick me out, and I will have to live in a 'Tent City' along with 1.5% of all Californians.
