For example, some women who were raised and identify as women present themselves in ways that might be considered masculine, like by having short hair or wearing stereotypically masculine clothes.
Similarly, transgender people may be gender non-conforming, or they might conform to gender stereotypes for the gender they live and identify as. Most transgender people are men or women. Some people don't identify with any gender. Some people's gender fluctuates over time. People whose gender is not male or female may use many different terms to describe themselves. One term that some people use is non-binary , which is used because the gender binary refers to the two categories of male and female.
Another term that people use is genderqueer. If you're not sure what term someone uses to describe their gender, you should ask them politely. It's important to remember that if someone is transgender, it does not necessarily mean that they have a "third gender. For more information about what it's like to have a gender other than male or female or how you can support the non-binary people in your life, read NCTE's guide Understanding Non-Binary People.
Telling someone that a core part of who they are is wrong or delusional and forcing them to change it is dangerous, sometimes leading to lasting depression, substance abuse, self-hatred and even suicide. However, many transgender people find it helpful to get counseling to help them decide when to tell the world they are transgender and deal with the repercussions of stigma and discrimination that comes afterward.
Transitioning is the time period during which a person begins to live according to their gender identity, rather than the gender they were thought to be at birth. While not all transgender people transition, a great many do at some point in their lives. Gender transition looks different for every person. And some people undergo hormone therapy or other medical procedures to change their physical characteristics and make their body better reflect the gender they know themselves to be.
Transitioning can help many transgender people lead healthy, fulfilling lives. All transgender people are entitled to the same dignity and respect, regardless of which legal or medical steps they have taken. Some transgender people make or want to make legal changes as part of their transition, like by changing their name or updating the gender marker on their identity documents.
Not all transgender people need or want to change their identity documents, but for many, it's a critical step in their transition. For many transgender people, not having identity documents like driver's licenses or passports that match their gender means that they might not be able to do things that require an ID, like getting a job, enrolling in school, opening a bank account, or traveling.
Some transgender people who use an ID that doesn't match their gender or their presentation face harassment, humiliation, and even violence. Transgender people may need to change a number of documents in order to live according to their gender identity, such as their:. It's important to know that not all transgender people be able to make the changes they need to their IDs and other official documents.
Unfortunately, these changes are often expensive, burdensome, and complicated, putting them out of reach for many people. For example, some states still require proof of surgery or a court order to change a gender marker. In many states, the process can be time-consuming and involve many steps, or cost hundreds of dollars.
NCTE works to modernize all of these outdated requirements. States are increasingly adopting more accessible and straightforward policies for changing one's name and gender marker.
Some, but not all, transgender people undergo medical treatments to make their bodies more congruent with their gender identity and help them live healthier lives. While transition-related care is critical and even life-saving for many transgender people, not everyone needs medical care to transition or live a fulfilling life.
Different transgender people may need different types of transition-related care. People should make decisions about their care based on their individual needs. Medical procedures can include:. While not everyone needs transition-related medical treatments, there is an overwhelming consensus in the medical community that they are medically necessary for many transgender people and should be covered by private and public insurance.
Every major medical organization in the United States has affirmed that transition-related medical care is safe and effective, and that everyone who needs it should be able to access it. Unfortunately, this critical care is often denied by insurance companies, often in spite of state and federal laws. For some transgender people, the difference between the gender they are thought to be at birth and the gender they know themselves to be can lead to serious emotional distress that affects their health and everyday lives if not addressed.
Gender dysphoria is the medical diagnosis for someone who experiences this distress. To reduce the likelihood of negative reactions to gender transition, the organization can establish a culture of appreciation of differences, provide adequate training and treat all employees fairly.
Diversity in a workplace means employees are able to work with all people; it does not require that employees believe in or accept transgenderism. Employees are entitled to their beliefs, but they should also be required to treat the transgender person—and every other employee—with respect.
Inclusion is about a diverse workforce becoming more productive, innovative and creative. It is about effectively harnessing the full range of available perspectives and experiences to create business advantage. To create a more inclusive environment, some organizations define appropriate workplace behaviors that are consistent with the employer's stated beliefs and values about inclusion and productivity. This process is about changing employees' workplace behaviors to be in accordance with the company's values, not changing an employee's personal beliefs and values.
See Creating a Trans-Inclusive Workplace. Like all workers, transgender employers will be happier and more productive in a positive, supportive working environment.
Just as an older worker employed in a workplace with mostly younger employees or a male employee working with mostly women might feel out of his element and comfort zone—and maybe even a bit ostracized—a transgender person regularly encounters such environments.
Therefore, an employer that can foster and provide a positive, inclusive working environment, based on respect and professionalism, will likely enjoy workers who are happy to be there, engaged in their work and in the organization's success, and respectful of others. Information about the organization's policies and guidelines for managing a gender transition should be widely accessible for employees, supervisors and managers, and HR professionals.
See Template for Gender Transition Guidelines. When announcing an employee's plan to transition, senior management can send a strong message of support for the transitioning employee and set the tone for what is expected of staff. How should an employer handle a transgender employee's request for a name change? How should a company handle issues related to the use of workplace restrooms by transgender employees? Answers to your questions about transgender people, gender identify and gender expression.
Workplace gender transition guidelines. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Reuse Permissions. Page Content. Overview This article focuses on workplace issues related to the employment of transgender individuals in an organization.
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Contact Us SHRM Page Information Page Properties. This source included responses from about 1, adults identifying as transgender and provided weighting factors to extrapolate to the entire US population. To better understand the uniqueness of the current transgender experience, and to add to a sparse but growing body of analysis about this community, we conducted research that provides new insights into the participation, plight, and precarity of transgender people at work.
Given the more than 2. We identify steps companies can take to explore policy options that explicitly focus on employees across the gender spectrum. Our suggestions are not comprehensive but are meant as a starting point for change. This is the first time McKinsey has published on the transgender experience. Over time, we hope to further develop our research in this area, and we welcome feedback and dialogue to learn from our readers.
Even the trans community does not have total agreement on terminology. A shared vocabulary in the workplace would be so valuable. If my colleagues had the right language, it would make conversations a thousand times easier. Despite gains in public visibility, transgender people still face stigma and discrimination at best—and hostility and violence are all too common. Across the lived experience, transgender people have a much harder time than cisgender people in meeting their basic needs.
For example, 90 percent of transgender youth report being forced out of their homes as a result of their gender identity, and one quarter of transgender people report experiencing housing discrimination when seeking a place to live. While data are hard to come by, our analysis suggests that 49 percent of transgender people do not progress beyond high school, compared with 39 percent of cisgender people.
And some 29 percent of transgender people live in poverty , compared with less than 8 percent of the US population at large. Meanwhile, the well-being and safety of transgender and nonbinary people have never been more at risk.
According to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 22 percent of transgender adults, and 32 percent of transgender adults of color, have no form of health coverage. Transgender people also face a deeply uncertain political environment and have been disproportionately affected physically, mentally, and economically by the COVID crisis.
Alongside the pandemic, an epidemic of hatred and violence is also rising against transgender people. Last year was the most violent year for the transgender community since the Human Rights Campaign began to keep records in a record 44 transgender people in the United States were killed in , and is on track to be the deadliest year yet. The Human Rights Campaign has published a glossary that includes terminology for conversing about gender identity.
Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, et cetera. A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with the identity typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth. A broad term referring to people who do not behave in a way that conforms to the traditional expectations of their gender or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category.
While many also identify as transgender, not all gender-nonconforming people do. An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Nonbinary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all nonbinary people do. Nonbinary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer, or gender fluid.
Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as genderqueer may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female, or as falling completely outside those categories. A person who does not identify with a single fixed gender or has a fluid or unfixed gender identity.
The process by which some people strive to more closely align their internal knowledge of gender with its outward appearance. Others undergo physical transitions in which they modify their bodies through medical interventions. Data extracted from BRFSS suggest that only 73 percent of transgender adults are in the workforce, compared with 82 percent of cisgender people.
The transgender respondents to our survey were two times more likely to be unemployed than cisgender people Exhibit 1. The employment status of transgender people can also be precarious.
Both the scarcity and the precarity of transgender employment can lead to feelings of loneliness, instability, and alienation from the rest of the workforce. Transgender people also make less money than cisgender people do Exhibit 2. Our survey showed that they are 2.
The differences are exacerbated even more at the crossroads of intersectionality , when someone is affected by complex and multiple forms of discrimination as a member of more than one marginalized community—in this case, both transgender and a person of color. Even education is not an equalizer. The transgender respondents to our survey were 1. They also earn less. Throughout the employment life cycle—beginning with the interview process and getting hired, then shifting to retention, and finally ending with departure—transgender respondents to our survey reported feeling anxious and alienated, which can restrict their access to information.
Gender-identity considerations can influence all decisions transgender employees make throughout their entire work lives. These decisions could lead transgender people to have a more difficult and inequitable employment experience than their cisgender colleagues have. I can survive being closeted for now.
Because American culture still largely views gender in binary terms, transgender or nonbinary job applicants might not want the topic of their gender nonconformity to come up during the interview process.
According to our survey, 50 percent of transgender respondents said they could not be their full selves during the job-application process and an additional 19 percent reported that they felt neutral on this matter , compared with 33 percent of cisgender respondents Exhibit 3. Our research also finds that it is 1. For example, a transgender job applicant may fear outing themselves during the interview process by asking about gender-neutral bathrooms in the office or whether the company would pay for hormone-replacement therapy.
I gave HR a page document from the Human Rights Campaign on inclusion in the workplace, and I asked them to review it and announce my transition to the company—both of which they did not do. Prospective trans employees may also feel they have limited options when deciding which industries to pursue. Cisgender people are twice as likely as transgender ones to say that gender identity does not affect their decisions about the industries they explore for employment.
Safety, at 59 percent, was by far the most cited concern for transgender people in their decisions not to pursue certain industries.
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