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Work Cited

Brown, Rossa. “7 Benefits of Gender Diversity in the Workplace.” Workplace from Facebook, 1 Dec. 2020, www.workplace.com/blog/diversity-in-the-workplace.

Fowlkes, Ashlee. “Transgender Inclusion In The Workplace Part II: Transgender People Are Not Homogeneous.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Dec. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/ashleefowlkes/2019/12/11/transgender-inclusion-in-the-workplace-part-ii-transgender-people-are-not-homogenous/?sh=5d7fbd2f3416.

“Housing & Homelessness.” National Center for Transgender Equality, transequality.org/issues/housing-homelessness.

Moreau, Julie. “'Laughed out of Interviews': Trans Workers Discuss Job Discrimination.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 8 Oct. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/laughed-out-interviews-trans-workers-discuss-job-discrimination-n1063041.

Shrm. “Employing Transgender Workers.” SHRM, SHRM, 19 June 2020, www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/employingtransgenderworkers.aspx.

“Six Steps to a Transgender Friendly Workplace.” YouTube, 15 July 2016, youtu.be/FjWMcozDpps.

“Transgender Workplace Rights.” Lambda Legal, www.lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/article/trans-workplace.

“Transgenderism - Our Position.” Focus on the Family, 23 June 2020, www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/transgenderism-our-position/.

Udupi, Nayana. “The Benefits of Having Transgender People in the Workplace: Nayana Udupi: TEDxGangtok.” YouTube, TED Talk, 12 Sept. 2018, youtu.be/ytPmdDuKJ2E.

[revolutionizethetransmovement]

Finally...

The fight for transgender workplace rights remains a very relevant topic in today’s society and government. There are laws being passed and vetoed frequently that determines the status of the transgender community in a workplace environment. There are gray areas that still allow for trans individuals to endure workplace bias and abuse that forces them into poverty. Transgender homelessness rates speak to how there is an active movement of pushing the transgender community into exile from workplaces. We’ve had plenty of discussions thus far on this blog. There is an erasure of transgender people when it comes to them vocalizing what occurs which keeps them in poverty and how they need to be helped. We also discussed listening and how we all can benefiting from making our workplaces more inclusive for our peers. Through keeping up this appeal and working to make trans voices heard, we are doing a duty of strengthening the American workplace and stopping the “othering” of those that stem away from the heteronormative society we live in.

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During a job interview, do I have to give out my pronouns? I want to work at a Starbucks and I heard they are more LGBT+friendly, but I do not pass and am worried that hiring managers will discard my resume or not hire me if I use my correct pronouns but look like a "girl" to them. Im in MO

Lee says:

You aren’t required to come out to your employer, no. If you don’t want to tell them your pronouns/gender until you’re hired, that’s valid and fine to do.

It’s reasonable to wait to come out until you’re sure you’re secure in your employment- sadly, discrimination against trans people is a real concern. I also chose to stay closeted at work for the same reasons (until I was outed- which is another story).

Coming out in the workplace as transgender

Planning for transition on the job

A guide to coming out in the workplace

What do you wish you’d known before coming out as trans at work?

Letters of intent to transition and coming out

Out at work

Coming out in the job application process

Coming out at work when you’re closeted at home

I need resume help!

More links!

[revolutionizethetransmovement]

You May Oppose, I Suppose

However, through our analyzation of why it's beneficial to include the transgender community in the workplace and how to maintain a safe space for them, let us look at those who do not agree with letting others live their truths and stand entirely in their identity. According to Focus on the Family, there are individuals who do not believe in transgenderism and those that differ from the heteronorms of our society. By including the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace and making their representation more noticeable in media, an agenda is being enforced onto the general population to accept these lifestyles as an average. For instance, when discussing their position on this community, their website says, "We oppose the ordination of “transgender” and “transsexual” individuals into the clergy and the celebration of “transgenderism” as one of God’s gifts."

Yeah...

This excommunication of LGBTQ+ community--particularly, the transgender community, from religion, media, work spaces, and more is the condoning of placing these individuals in positions of abuse, biases, and intolerance. There are conservative individuals who believe that by allowing the transgender community into their workspaces, their being forced to accept a religion that goes against their beliefs. This is an enabling of their abuse and a reasoning to make a trans person uncomfortable.

Source: “Transgenderism - Our Position.” Focus on the Family, 23 June 2020, www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/transgenderism-our-position/.

[revolutionizethetransmovement]

If I May Intrigue You Further...

To appeal to the aforementioned groups, we must first appeal to what they understand the most: money. These individuals forfeit conservative ideals to win the ultimate American race which is capitalism. By appealing to capital growth and financial gain, these groups will be open to establishing a safe workspace for the transgender community and ensuring a continuous expansion of safety for these people.  Above is a video by Nayana Udupi, a transwoman working in the marketing industry, discussing the benefits of introducing transgender people to the workplace as well as maintaining a safe space for the community. In case you can’t watch it, I’ve compiled a short, condensed list for you!

1. By establishing your business as a safe space for transgender people, you are widening your customer pool. You are growing a consumer base that is beneficial for the business as there is another type of customer that you can appeal to.

2. There is another type of perspective that can be introduced into your business that can make your goods and services more inclusive as well as add another dimension into marketing and production. There would not be anymore “black & white”, but a fluctuation of color that can appeal to more consumers than the regulars.

3. A steady influx of employee retention would occur as employees would identify with your business being labelled as a safe space. There would not be a presence of workplace bias, abuse, or intolerance.

4. Financial profitability would be inevitable. Having an inclusive workspace where you are opening the door for more consumer bases can bring in high profits. “According to McKinsey, the most gender-diverse companies are 21%  more likely to experience above-average profitability.” (Brown)

Video: Udupi, Nayana. “The Benefits of Having Transgender People in the Workplace: Nayana Udupi: TEDxGangtok.” YouTube, TED Talk, 12 Sept. 2018, youtu.be/ytPmdDuKJ2E. 

Source: Brown, Rossa. “7 Benefits of Gender Diversity in the Workplace.” Workplace from Facebook, 1 Dec. 2020, www.workplace.com/blog/diversity-in-the-workplace. 

[revolutionizethetransmovement]

What’s Our Next Step?

We have taken the steps to understand how the transgender community has faced workplace bias and how that bias has contributed to poverty and marginalization in this community. It’s always best to recognize what happens after we can no longer accept our current social standards. You have joined the small percentage of the human population that wants better and is deciding to make the choice to do better. For instance, to combat workplace bias, we must first work from within with bringing this discussion to the uppers. When I say uppers, I’m talking about the hiring managers, business owners, CEOs, and supervisors. I’m talking about the people that have the power to diversify their businesses and create a safe space for people of all identities to build their careers. Let’s dig deeper into this trait of “power” that these groups all share. This power is not just simply hiring a transgender individuals and calling it a day. It is developing a mutual respect with their transgender employees with their cisgender employees, taking transgender comfortability seriously, giving voice and representation to transgender thoughts and opinions, and abolishing discriminatory persons, protocols, and conversations. That is the power that is shared by these groups that can create such a monumental difference in how the transgender community is seen and represented in the average American workplace.

[revolutionizethetransmovement]

Time to Listen

We're having all this talk about listening, so I feel the need to be an example. NBC News covered the stories of trans individuals that are currently or were formerly immersed in the workforce that have experienced distress and mistreatment from their peers surrounding the adjustment to respecting these individuals' identities. The article begins with the story of Aveda Adara, a transgender woman, who was forced to leave her job because of mistreatment and frequent misgendering by others. She says, "I was constantly misgendered by managers, supervisors, and employees. My own manager would routinely discriminate against me, and nit pick and micromanage me." A more in-depth description of the mistreatment Aveda Adara experienced can be found in the article above.

[revolutionizethetransmovement]

Self-Adjustment is Key

Transgender individuals in the workplace often have to adjust their physical appearance or their behavior to accommodate their peers. This, in turn, compromises a detrimental part to who they are. Common sense would tell us that they shouldn’t be the ones to adjust as they are simply being their truest selves. However...common sense isn’t that common. Accepting how others choose to live their lives has no effect on how we can live our lives. According to Ashlee Fowlkes in her article on Forbes, “Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace Part II: Transgender People Are Not Homogenous”, she illuminates that “every work environment be one that celebrates their employees, appreciates their differences, accepts their similarities (but strives for something deeper) and tolerates the need of everyone to know and be known as their authentic self.” This isn’t eliminating rights or erasing the dominant’s voice; it’s equalizing who needs to be heard. She then goes on to say, “Representation is important...Having a voice to accompany that seat is important. Feeling heard when you use your voice is important. Actually being heard when you use your voice is important.” We’re seeking to set a precedent! Setting a standard is much more than a positive reflection on us, but a reflection on those that refuse to progress forward. 

Source:

Fowlkes, Ashlee. “Transgender Inclusion In The Workplace Part II: Transgender People Are Not Homogeneous.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Dec. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/ashleefowlkes/2019/12/11/transgender-inclusion-in-the-workplace-part-ii-transgender-people-are-not-homogenous/?sh=5d7fbd2f3416.

[revolutionizethetransmovement]

Welcome

This is it! You've taken the first step to erasing all the stigmas that the media fed and poured into you! Here, you've stepped into a safe space of identifying the problems surrounding the trans movement--particularly, transgender bias in the workplace that resorts to the transgender community being a primary demographic within the poverty lines. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, "20-40% of of LGBTQ+ identified youth make up more than 1.6 million homeless youth". Workplace bias has caused for trans individuals to suffer workplace abuse, prejudiced crimes, and unlawful terminations. To add insult to injury, according to Lambda Legal, "90% of [transgender individuals] reported workplace mistreatment or discrimination, and 26% said they lost work because of their gender identity or expression". On this blog, both you (yes, YOU) and I will collaborate on solutions, listen to others, and respect the importance of this discussion needing to be had. Some solutions that I've been thinking of is how we can appeal to the uppers...you know who I'm talking about...the business owners, managers (both hiring and general), and CEOs in how they can grow their businesses by appealing to outside communities rather than their typical, normative base.

Sources:

“Housing & Homelessness.” National Center for Transgender Equality, transequality.org/issues/housing-homelessness.

“Transgender Workplace Rights.” Lambda Legal, www.lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/article/trans-workplace.