Scotland —
Sam Abbot, 34, was horrified to find out a
training manager had told new recruits all about her
forthcoming operation to become a man.
And the former female
sumo wrestler was stunned to hear Gavin Vannet, who was
employed to teach people-skills, had used her personal
story to add humour to his classes.
Vannet, who trained
Central Parking System's new wardens, told his classes
Sam's full name and ID number and warned them to look out
for the transsexual on the beat.
He then joked about her
manly appearance, revealed she was to go under the knife
and laughed about intricacies of the
operation.
Vannet also joked to new
wardens they had joined a "multi-racial and transgender"
company, where 90 per cent of the females were
lesbians.
Yesterday, Sam's live-in
lover Carolyne Sharples, 24, said the parking warden was
left traumatised by the cruel comments.
And she said her
girlfriend of three-and-a-half years, who she hopes to
marry after her op, felt she had been held up as the
company "freak". Speaking from the home they share in
Sighthill, Edinburgh, Carolyne said:
"A
new young warden on her first shift asked Sam about
her sex- change operation.
"The
girl could see Sam was stunned and had to admit she
had heard all about her in the morning training
class.
"Sam
could not believe her sexuality and intimate details
about her operation were being discussed with complete
strangers.
"She
found out from others that Vannet made the same speech
in every class."
Psychology student
Carolyne said although Sam is open about her sexuality,
she had only discussed her sex-change op, which she plans
to have next year, with her closest friends. And she said
Sam couldn't eat or sleep when she learned Vannet had
revealed her plans to at least 20 trainees. Now she
dreads going in to work.
Her humiliation was
compounded when parking manager Steve Hardy did not
instigate full disciplinary proceedings.
Carolyne said: "It was a
case of all the boys together.
"Sam was asked to accept
an informal apology from Gavin Vannet, but that was
nowhere near what he deserved.
"It was dealt with so
light-heartedly, even though he admitted he was in the
wrong."
A spokeswoman for Central
Parking System last night said Vannet was no longer an
employee but refused to give further details.
Vannet was not available
for comment at his home in Livingston, West Lothian
yesterday.
Sam, a former 18-stone
wrestler, was Scotland's first female sumo.
As "Sam the Slam", she
was part of the Jim Rose Circus <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rose_Circus>.
But the former bouncer gave up wrestling five years ago
to lose weight to allow her to have the major
surgery.
After shedding five
stone, she now has to lose a further three before
surgeons will agree to the eight-hour sex swap
op.
