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My name is Taeko Tsuchi.

In 1995, I joined the Research & Development division of Procter & Gamble Far East Inc. (then P&G). At the time, P&G’s workplace culture was remarkably different from broader Japanese society. There were many female employees, and there was no unspoken pressure to conform to traditional gender roles. It was an ideal environment where I could work freely, as myself.

At age 17, I was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH)—a congenital condition in which a person is born without a uterus or a fully formed vagina. This is sometimes classified as a type of Difference of Sex Development (DSD). For someone like me, P&G’s lack of expectations around marriage and childbirth offered a rare sense of safety.

However, in 2023, I began to find internal materials on the company portal stating that “intersex = a combination of male and female” or that intersex people are “born with differences in reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, or hormones that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female.” As someone with a DSD, I felt as though we were being told we didn’t belong in the male or female category—simply for being “atypical.”

I escalated the issue to P&G’s compliance office, formally requesting corrections and preventive measures. In response, P&G shared my confidential compliance helpline report with the very individuals involved, issued a work order instructing me not to discuss the issue either inside or outside the company, and secretly implemented a system to automatically forward any of my emails containing keywords like “intersex” or “GABLE” to the HR department.

Still, I refused to stay silent. In December, I was disciplined on false grounds. The emotional toll of being ignored, surveilled, and punished led to serious mental distress. I was forced to resign in May 2025.

Still, I have chosen to sue P&G, because:

• “Instant allyship”—blindly adopting external political messaging without scrutiny—is not inclusion.
• An “internal investigation” where whistleblower reports are leaked to the accused is not justice.
• A corporate culture that silences dissent through orders and punishment is not equity.

This is no longer about my personal grievance. This is about holding a powerful company accountable. And it is the one responsibility I still carry—for those who come after me.

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