Wizards Of The Coast Deadnamed Trans Employees During Arena Union Election

In the lead-up to a union election at Wizards of the Coast for Magic: The Gathering Arena, the company submitted a voter list to the NLRB that used employees’ legal names, including the deadnames of several transgender staff. That list was published on an internal election page, prompting immediate complaints; WOTC removed the page and began sending individual voting instructions, but did not update the list given to the NLRB.

When in-person voting began, several transgender employees were required to confirm their legal names with an NLRB representative in front of colleagues in order to cast ballots. WOTC later shared a message saying it provided legal names to the NLRB and CWA as part of a legal process, that the list had been approved for use, and that it had apologized and re‑sent communications with employees BCCed.

The company said it will use preferred names where possible and as permitted by the NLRB and CWA, but did not clarify what legal process mandated legal names.

United States

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