All lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people deserve to feel free to be themselves at work.
Creating an inclusive working environment is something we all contribute to. Every team member plays a part in fostering respect, understanding and a sense of belonging. While it takes everyone’s effort, dedicated teams are there to guide, support and provide resources, helping to make inclusion a part of everyday work life.
Here are some key messages and actions to consider for sharing with all staff:
- Let your staff know that your organisation is on a trans inclusion journey
- Be open to conversations about why trans inclusion is important, but make clear that trans identities are valid and that trans people’s existence is not up for debate
- Educate staff on what transphobia is, and how to challenge or report transphobia at work
- Emphasise that your organisation doesn’t tolerate transphobia and discrimination towards trans staff
- Encourage staff to step up as trans allies in the workplace by being vocal about trans inclusion, and calling out transphobic behaviour
- Provide workshops to understand trans inclusion, and how they can support colleagues
- Show staff at all levels that you value their input on trans inclusion. For example, by asking staff at all levels to feedback to you about your trans inclusion work. By engaging all staff in trans inclusion, you can create a workplace in which everyone feels free to be themselves.
The importance of trans allies
Allyship is a powerful tool for creating this organisational and cultural change. Trans allies can help create a welcoming environment by being vocally supportive of trans inclusion in your workplace.
They can also help raise issues around transphobia, alleviating pressure from trans colleagues having to advocate for themselves alone. To make the most of allyship in your organisation, you need engagement from all levels, from colleagues, to middle management, to senior leaders.
A trans ally is someone who isn’t trans, and is actively supportive of trans inclusion. This includes LGBQ+ people who are not trans. There are many different reasons why allies are passionate about trans equality. Some may have family members and friends who are trans. Others may have no direct contact with the trans community, but still feel a commitment to inclusion and equality in the workplace.
Steps you can take to engage trans allies:
- Share stories of trans allies, and what led them to step up and get involved in trans inclusion. Active allyship can be seen as a huge task, but it’s important to show how small acts of allyship can help trans staff feel included.
- Support trans allies to advocate for trans staff and know when to take a step back. The role of a trans ally is to amplify the voices of trans people, not to speak over them.
- Help trans allies make a visible statement of support, for example, by developing a pledge
- Support managers to set an example for their team, for example, by sharing their pronouns at the start of meetings, or supporting them to identify and challenge transphobic behaviour in the workplace
- Encourage senior leaders to be vocal trans allies. This will help all staff see that trans inclusion in a priority and allow junior staff to feel more confident in being active trans allies themselves.
The importance of trans role models
To learn more about trans inclusion, it’s also important to hear from trans people themselves.
Trans role models are members of staff who openly identify as trans in the workplace. By sharing their stories, visible trans role models can show all trans employees that they can be themselves, thrive and pursue further success with confidence at work. Visibility can also encourage trans staff that are not out to feel less alone.
Steps you can take to engage trans role models:
- Trans role models should ideally be from within your organisation. This can help show other trans staff that the specific barriers they may face within your sector can be overcome. However, you should never force someone to be visible, come out as trans or use any information without their permission. We’d also recommend being careful not to place the burden of trans equality work solely on trans staff. You may have trans staff that don’t feel safe or comfortable at work to be out and visible. If that’s the case, consider what steps you can take in the longer term to encourage trans inclusion at all levels.
- If there are currently no openly trans people in your organisation, you may wish to widen your search to include your workplace sector. For example, through collaborative organisational network activities. This should be done in a sensitive manner and role models should be given space to manage their level of involvement.
- An alternative may be to profile role models from popular culture or the wider trans community. Be aware of the cultural context within which you’re profiling people and read up about the individual fully. Where possible, it’s great to show how the work of these individuals impacts, inspires or links to the work that you are doing as an organisation. By contextualising your trans inclusion work with wider trans activism, you can help make trans inclusion feel actionable and more impactful.
We are in a difficult climate for trans inclusion in the UK. It can be disheartening to see the challenges that trans people are still facing today. By encouraging all staff to engage with trans inclusion, you can help cultivate a safe working environment for trans employees. Your organisation can work towards a culture where trans people to feel safe and free to be themselves.