Hooters accused of sex-based discrimination after refusing to hire transgender woman.

A transgender woman sued a Hooters in upstate New York for "sex-based discrimination," prompting a swarm of protesters to gather outside the restaurant.

A Hooters in Colonie, New York had issues with Brandy Livingston, a regular patron, after she transitioned into a woman.

NEWS 10 reported that Livingston would use male pronouns and refer to himself as "he."

When she attempted to use the restrooms at Hooters, Livingston accused the management and staff of harassment.

According to Livingston, he overheard a server talking to a manager after leaving the restroom and asked, "Why are you allowing him in the women's restroom?" The manager responded, "Oh, I don't like it any more than you do."

Despite clashes with the restaurant staff over gender pronouns, Livingston applied for a server position at Hooters three times, but was rejected each time.

Livingston stated that he had written down his previous job experiences and asked if the individual wanted to see them. However, the individual responded that they didn't care about experience and that they hired based on personality and an image that needed to be met, as reported by NEWS 10.

Livingston filed a claim with the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Livingston stated that she is filing a lawsuit against Hooters for discrimination based on accommodation and employment.

Hooters was contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for comment, but no immediate response was received.

According to reports, the division discovered enough proof that Livingston's rights might have been infringed upon under New York Executive Law 296.

Hooters refuted Livingston's assertions, stating that she was instructed not to return to their restaurant due to inappropriate conduct prior to her transition.

It is claimed that before Livingston's transition, she made sexually explicit comments to the servers about masturbation and expressed her desire to marry them.

Livingston denied those claims to NEWS 10.

Adelle, Livingston's mother, misunderstood their conversation and thought Livingston was going to the gun range for practice. Livingston clarified that it was a miscommunication and denied any intention of going to the gun range.

A Human Rights hearing has been scheduled for September 2025 for Brandy and Hooters on Wolf Road.

Adelle believes the slow system is why fewer individuals advocate for their rights, as stated in an interview with NEWS 10.