How to Effectively Support Your Trans Employees

Char Erskine, Senior Inclusion Manager at Taylor Wessing reveals what employees can do to support their trans employees more effectively.

Hi Char, thanks for chatting with us., Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi, I'm Char (they/them).  I am the Senior Inclusion Manager at Taylor Wessing and the non-binary rep of our equaliTW (LGBT+) employee network.  I lead all things diversity, equity and inclusion at the firm, and have a particular interest in how the different parts of our identities intersect to form unique experiences in the world.

What does Trans Day of Visibility mean to you?

This year, Trans Day of Visibility means more to me than I would usually care to admit.  It's about overcoming the minority of loud voices who continue to attack the trans community and giving a platform and positive visibility to trans, non-binary and gender-non-conforming people who are living their lives as their authentic selves.  There have been so many public conversations and debates about trans people recently that don't include anyone who is actually trans, so this is a day where I will be encouraging everyone that I know to listen to trans voices.

Of course, we can't ignore the increase in transphobic hate crimes and discrimination over the last couple of years and the very real and constant threat of rolling back trans rights, so I also see this as a day to interrogate the facts.  If you are hearing snippets of information about the trans community through the news or social media, think about where that information has come from, which trans people were consulted (if any) and dig deeper to make sure that you have not fallen into any problematic echo chambers.

What can workplaces do to increase trans inclusivity?

I find that trans inclusivity in the workplace can start with the small things, and I'm going to focus on three areas that can make a big difference in the experience of your trans people.

First – make all your forms and systems trans inclusive.  If you think about the number of forms that you fill in when you are onboarding to a new job, the Talent/HR team can make sure that there is a box for everyone to tick where needed.  That could include an Mx title, gender options outside of man and woman, and the option to confirm your pronouns.  If your systems don't have these options yet, then you should be challenging the developers to be more inclusive with their next upgrades.

Second – ensure that you have clarity on trans inclusion in your policies.  Workplaces should have a transition at work policy and clear processes in place to support anyone who is transitioning.  Your anti-bullying and harassment policies should clearly state a zero-tolerance to transphobia, as this is a sign of safety for your trans employees.  Your dress code should be inclusive of all gender expressions, so references to "skirts for women" and "suits for men" should be a thing of the past.  And your family policies should be inclusive of trans and gender-non-conforming people who might give birth or adopt.

Third – review the scope of your LGBTQ+ networks to ensure they are serving all parts of the community, not just the LGB.  There will be spaces where representation of TQ+ people is low, or even non-existent, but creating those safer spaces within your employee networks where trans inclusion is already part of the way they operate will make it so much more appealing for potential trans and gender-diverse recruits.

By no means is this an exhaustive list.  Workplaces should also be thinking about gender-neutral toilets and facilities (although remodelling your buildings is not an overnight project), private medical insurance cover for gender-affirming healthcare, and trans-inclusion training and education for all your people.

Why is it important that we put in effort to ensure we get someone’s pronouns correct? What can we do to make sure we get this correct?

Getting someone's pronouns correct is as respectful as calling someone by the right name.  It's also such an affirming thing for people who have transitioned or who use pronouns that recognise their gender identity and expression (such as they/them or xie/xer).  If you are a cisgender woman who uses she/her pronouns, imagine how it would feel to be referred to as he/him or be called the wrong name… it wouldn't feel great, and you might be offended if someone does it maliciously.

If you're worried about getting pronouns right or feel awkward referring to someone with gender-neutral pronouns for the first time, the best thing you can do is practice beforehand and challenge your own gendered perspective on things.  If you don't know someone's pronouns, I think the best thing to do is to share your pronouns first.  And if you do make an innocent mistake, stay CALM:

·        Correct yourself

·        Apologise

·        Learn from it

·        Move on

If you are trying and learning along the way, then it will become second nature in no time.

What advice would you give to others who want to become trans allies?

I think the first thing to do when becoming a trans ally is broadening your gendered sense of the world.  When you pay attention to the number of things that are pointlessly gendered in our daily lives, you really start to understand the experience of those who transition or are gender-non-conforming and the barriers they face in daily life.  This really starts to build your sense of empathy and compassion, which is a huge motivator to become an active ally in the movement for trans equality.

I also recommend you bring trans voices into your daily experience to support your learning.  I don't suggest you approach a trans person on the street and ask them to be your friend, but many of us can access trans creators and educators on social media who are doing amazing work to make the world a little kinder to trans people.  As you hear more from trans people in your day-to-day scrolling, you will pick up more tips on being a trans ally and stay up to date with the latest news in this movement.

Who are your trans role models now?

I have so many trans role models!  First, the ancestors of our movement – Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera – they must be known and admired by anyone who supports LGBTQ+ rights.  I also look up to Alok Vaid-Menon for their calm and caring approach to dismantling the binary notion of gender that holds all of us back.  I think Fox Fisher does amazing things with their platform and is an inspiring trans masculine voice in this movement.  Ben Pechey is a wonderful advocate for trans and non-binary joy – I highly recommend you check out their TEDx Talk.  And finally, Munroe Bergdorf – she has stood up for herself and for what is right in the face of immense scrutiny and come out the other side even stronger than she was before.

What would you like to see next in the journey for trans equality?

I long for the moment that days like Trans Day of Visibility can be 100% about our joy and celebration because discrimination is a thing of the past.  Realistically we still have a lot to overcome before we can do that.  The most important thing that I would like to see next in our journey for trans equality is a renewed narrative that recognises that we are all human.  Unfortunately, a lot of what we see in mainstream media uses people's transness, queerness and gender-non-conformity to dehumanise them and that is a narrative that genuinely puts trans people in danger.  When we recognise trans people for their humanity, I think that will start to change.  And then we can focus our attention on dismantling the systems that perpetuate inequality for far too many marginalised and minoritised communities.

If you want to be part of the movement for trans equality, be vocal, be visible and be consistent in your support of this community.  Trans people don't have the option to take a break from their fight for equality – their existence is resistance.  That can become tiring, so we always need allies to stand with us in this movement.