Back to Dear Lucy homepageI am on a panel of judges for an award for female entrepreneurs. We have just interviewed the short-listed candidates, most of whom were unimpressive. The most promising of these admitted during interview that she had had a sex change two years ago: until then she was a man.
I feel this disqualifies her as she was not a woman when she founded the business. I also feel that by not putting this relevant fact on the form she was deceiving us. Therefore I am inclined to disqualify her. The other judges on the panel do not agree and say that as the strongest candidate she deserves the award. Which of us is right?
Manager, male, 53
Lucy’s Answer
If you want to be pedantic about it – and it seems that you do – you could start by asking yourself whether she is a woman now. The answer to this is no, she isn’t. However she has had operations so that she can pass off as one and be treated as one. This means, surely, that she is eligible to enter this competition.
The next question is whether it matters that she was a man when she started the business. I don’t think it does. Evidently she wasn’t terribly happy with being one, so I can see no harm in stretching a point.
You say that you give her a black mark for not having been straight about it. I give you a black mark for having had that thought. What did you expect? That she would put full details of all operations she has had on the forms? The point is that she has changed her gender, which is a private matter for her and her doctor.
If you are still unhappy, reassure yourself with the thought that prizes are very silly things and the best person hardly ever wins. At least in this case you won’t be disappointing a brilliant born-woman candidate who deserves it, as you say the other candidates were feeble. This makes me think your prize is particularly silly: when I judged a similar award, there were lots of really good women entrepreneurs on the shortlist.
The others judges have already decided that you are a pedant, a meanie or a bigot. They may wonder, as I do, what principle you are defending: do you fear that, if you let this one through, lots of men will have sex changes just to get one of these awards? Give the award to her and stop worrying about it.
