Supporting Transgender & Gender Non-Conforming Employees
As speaking openly about gender diversity becomes increasingly culturally relevant, it is imperative that companies improve their diversity programs to better support trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming employees. Living authentically and bringing their whole selves to work can be very difficult for these individuals, especially if they don’t feel supported or accepted by their coworkers or leadership teams.
According to a study by McKinseyOpens in a new tab, over 50% of transgender employees don’t feel comfortable being out at work. The information in this article was designed to help educate you and your team on gender theory and the queer experience so you can better support your trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming employees.
This will help you create a more diverse, inclusive environment in your organization, leading to more creative ideologies and increased innovation.
Deepen your personal understanding of sex and gender
Building a more inclusive culture for your trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming employees begins with deepening your understanding of sex and gender. That way, you’ll have more knowledge and tools around these subjects to help you support gender diverse and transitioning employeesOpens in a new tab
Let’s begin with defining the terms transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming. Transgender individuals are those who don’t identify with the gender assigned to them at birth.
Nonbinary individuals often don’t identify with any gender, sometimes identifying on a grayscale between male and female, and other times, identifying completely outside of it. Gender nonconforming individuals often reject the concept of gender entirely, choosing to express and present themselves in a variety of different ways.
While all these terms fall under the umbrella of trans experienceOpens in a new tab their definitions are fluid and vary greatly from individual to individual. Also, someone can identify as both transgender and nonbinary or any combination of these terms. The information below is a great place to start widening your understanding of these concepts:
Recognize that gender is a social construct
It is imperative to recognize, first and foremost, that gender is a social construct. Gender roles and norms change over time and vary greatly across different cultures. There are no universal rules regarding gender expression, but rather, culturally engrained biases that are shaped over time.
For example, while we see the color pink as girly and feminine in Western culture, other cultures associate that color with masculinity. These examples begin as small as that one and ladder up into larger ideas about matriarchy vs. patriarchy in family structures, cultures, and leadership.
To begin deconstructing your own biasesOpens in a new tab, you need to first acknowledge what they are. Do you believe women should dress a certain way, especially in the office? Do you have preconceived notions of how men should speak or present themselves?
Do you believe that there are only two specific ways to express gender and secretly look down on people who don’t subscribe to that binary? Identifying these limiting beliefs is the first step in stopping yourself from subconsciously projecting them onto others.
It's also important to note that in many cultures around the world, three genders are acknowledgedOpens in a new tab, making transgender, nonbinary, and gender-non-conforming identities are much more normalized and culturally accepted. These binaries were created by colonialism and are enforced by patriarchy, as they make creating and upholding a system of power much easier.
These systems hurt everyone, including cisgender people, because they limit personal expression, self-discovery, and authenticity.
Understand that biological sex determinism is also a social construct
While many people are beginning to understand that gender is a social construct that can be harmful to all people, biological sex determinism is far from being fully deconstructed. Most people believe in a system of two sexes as a universal rule, even when there is massive biological evidence to the contraryOpens in a new tab, both in humans and in other species.
Let’s turn to the natural world for some examples. Male sea horses carry and give birth to their offspring. Slipper snails change their external biological sex characteristics at will as they grow and assemble into stacks, which need to alternate between male and female. Understanding this diversity in nature can really help combat the idea that the trans experience in humans is “new” or “unnatural.” It is neither.
Interestingly, 1.7% of humansOpens in a new tab are born with intersex characteristics, meaning they have the internal or external sexual characteristics that are both “male” and “female.” While that percentage may seem small, one or two babies out of every hundred born is a rather large segment.
There are also over 30 different genetic variationsOpens in a new tab that could qualify a human as “intersex,” meaning this is yet another wildly unique biological experience of gender.
Understanding these complexities can help expand dominant views of sex and gender, making them more accepting of trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people.
Acknowledge that the queer experience is not a monolith
While they’re often lumped together under the acronym LGBTQ+, the needs of trans and gender-diverse employees are often very different than the needs of cisgender gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.
It’s also important to remember that sexuality and gender identity are two completely separate pillars of identity, meaning that someone can be both transgender and lesbian, nonbinary and gay, gender nonconforming and bisexual, etc. It’s important to acknowledge both the uniqueness and the intersectionality that can exist between all these identities.
For example, the emotional support needed by a young college graduate who is just beginning a gender transition will likely be much greater than what is needed by a gay person in their forties who has been “out,” happily partnered, and living authentically for decades.
Expecting all people who fall under the LGBTQ+ person to be able to thrive under the same level of support is both unfair and unrealistic. It's also important to remember that supporting LGBTQ+ employees should be a year-round mission, not just a movement every June during Pride Month.
Integrate inclusivity into every aspect of your business
When you’re not a person of trans experience, it can be difficult to understand how many areas of life can be affected by this identity. From feeling excluded in the bathroom that matches your gender expression to being disregarded as “burdensome” when asking for improved diversity initiatives, these individuals can face a lot of discrimination in the workplace.
Here are some tips to help your trans, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary employees feel more comfortable at your company:
Educate employees on trans issues
To create a more trans-inclusive workplace, it’s imperative that you educate your employees on trans issues. Empowering your employees with information and the correct language to speak about these issues can be extremely powerful.
Also, providing employees with a safe space to ask questions they may be hesitant to ask can really help deepen a sense of understanding, cultivate a culture of respect, and illuminate the value of diversity.
Edit all communications for gender neutral language
Encouraging the use of gender-neutral language is a simple way to create a more inclusive environmentOpens in a new tab for all employees. This can include gender neutral language in external facing copy, internal communications, and in the language used within the office.
For example, addressing a group of employees of all genders as “you guys” may sound like a simple colloquialism, but it can actually be deeply hurtful to an individual who doesn’t identify as a “guy.” The simple swap to a word like “folks” ,“friends” or “team” can go a long way to make everyone feel included.
DEIB can help to deepen your employees’ sense of belonging can help create tangible business improvements, such as:
Ensure all employees have access to a gender-inclusive bathroom
If possible, offering a private, single-stall, gender-neutral restroom can be extremely helpful for employees of all gendersOpens in a new tab. This small bit of private space can help trans employees feel more comfortable changing, applying makeup, giving themselves hormone injections, etc. It can help menstruating employees of any gender feel more comfortable tending to their own biological needs however they see fit.
Simply knowing this space exists can help nonbinary and gender nonconforming employees avoid the emotional labor and feelings of danger that often accompany having to “pick” either the men’s or women’s restroom.
Provide health insurance benefits for transitioning employees
Therapy, hormone medications, and gender-affirming surgeries can all be extremely costly for employees. Ensuring that your health insurance covers gender-affirming care and all associated procedures and medications is a great way to show your unquestionable support for your employees' psychological safety at work.
Removing this huge financial burden can also help your workers feel more present at work, giving them the mental space to focus on the tasks at hand and boosting their productivity.
Foster and uphold a culture of respect
It is imperative that you operate your company with a zero-tolerance policy for disrespectful and degrading comments toward any of your staff members. Even in 2024, some employees may try to argue that their political or religious beliefs exclude them from supporting their trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming coworkers.
It is your job as a leader to show them that these biases have no placeOpens in a new tab in your inclusive, affirming culture. Their personal beliefs about trans identities do not overrule your company’s diversity policies or trans employees’ legal rights in the workplace.
Do not speak over anyone’s lived experience
It can be tempting, especially as a leader in Human Resources or DEIB to position oneself as the authority on diversity-related topics within an organization. However, this type of ideology can be especially damaging when you’re speaking for people from a marginalized group of which you’re not a part.
This can include tone policing, “correcting” their language, not taking constructive criticism on rhetoric or policies, and speaking about trans issues as if they are not unique to each individual.
Supposed “authority” on diversity gleaned through education or your position within a company should never supersede the expertise, opinions, and viewpoints of someone with lived experience on those topics. What you may think is advocacy work may actually be contributing to further marginalization and silencing within your organization.
Remember that it is your impact, not your intent, that will be remembered. Even the most well-intentioned people may misspeak and misstep. That’s why it’s important to welcome and honor constructive feedback as a leader.
Conduct pulse surveys
Regularly conducting pulse surveys can help you measure the success of your diversity initiatives. It can also identify opportunities for improvement. However, in order for these surveys to help create effective change, your leadership team will need to aggregate the results and execute actionable solutions to address these issues. Simply identifying the problem isn’t enough.
Creating measurable change to help employees feel more psychologically safe in the workplace is imperative.
Conclusion
Supporting transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary employees begins with deepening your understanding of sex and gender so that you can make more impactful changes to your company’s culture and policies.
Educating your staff and improving your company’s diversity initiatives can help you create a deeper sense of psychological safety for these employees, ultimately creating a more positive, inclusive, and diverse environment where your entire staff can grow and thrive.
I think to start with "let's turn to the natural world around us" or something of the like to ease into this!
About the author
Anna Picagli
As a CYT500 yoga instructor and a certified reiki practitioner, Anna is an advocate for holistic wellness, especially within the workplace.
She’s extremely passionate about the brain-body connection and exploring how mental and physical wellness intersect.
Anna has experienced firsthand how chronic stress, overworking, poor management, and other organizational issues can lead to extreme burnout. Knowing the impact that a toxic work environment can have on a person’s body, psyche, and general sense of well-being, she now works to direct others away from facing the same fate.
As Workhuman’s Content Marketing Senior Specialist, Anna is a regular contributor to Workhuman iQ reports and aims to create resources that company leaders can reference to help improve their culture and empower their employees, creating healthier workplaces for everyone.
In her free time, she’s a voracious reader and a seasoned home chef. You can learn more about Anna’s work on LinkedIn or through the Yoga Alliance.