Transgender Inclusivity in the Workplace

Published in

The Bridge by Divercity

6 min readNov 17, 2022

As too few women in the tech industry increase the gap of overall diversity and inclusivity in the workforce as it stands today, there is a question as to why even fewer transgender individuals within the tech sector are without the equivalent base-pay rate as professional counterparts.

An article released by TechRepublic highlights transgender employees in tech and dissects the factuality of inclusivity in the tech industry;

“For transgender women, working in the male-dominated tech industry — where research shows women, in general, are paid less, promoted less, and respected less than their male colleagues — can be particularly challenging.”

An individual wearing a hat and sunglasses is standing in an old Spanish-style road while holding a sign that reads, “Trans Rights Are Human Rights.”

The Williams School of Law Institute reports that over 1.4 million transgender individuals live in the United States alone, and as the laws for each state differ on policies that pertain to trans rights, employment, etc., there is an internal need for organizations and employees to make necessary changes for inclusivity, diversity, and equity in the workplace.

Making these necessary changes are for the benefit of the employer, the employees, the company, and the industry as a whole. Director of Policy for PFLAG National, Diego Sanchez, states the seemingly not-so-obvious:

“Inclusive policies help a company retain valuable employees.”

While the tech industry is commonly perceived as an inclusive industry for working trans men, trans women, and gender non-conforming people, there is still a massive pay gap that suggests more work is to be done before the tech industry can rely on this assumption of inclusive progression.

It has been made known that there are fewer women recognized in the tech workforce, leading to a feeling of imposter syndrome and low confidence while performing the tasks at hand. It is also known that transgender women are not fairly recognized, no matter their chosen career fields, often leading to depression, imposter syndrome, and in terrible cases, suicide.

However, while many transgender women face discrimination and negative responses when coming out to their workplace, some have had positive experiences when coming out and hope to shed light on helpful resources.

A Washington State tech-industry worker, Signy Davis, came out as a transgender woman after being employed with her company for four years. She kindly agreed to interview with me over Zoom to chat about her experience.

Mariah Manes: Hey, Signy. Thanks for meeting with me today. Let’s start with your occupation title.

Signy Davis: I am a senior designer at a digital-first marketing & strategy agency located in Bellevue, WA.

Mariah: What are some of the clients you have worked with?

Signy: I’ve worked with Microsoft, Amazon, VMware, to name a few — our clients are most often in the tech industry.

Mariah: That sounds exciting.

Thank you again for being willing to talk about your coming-out story today. I would love to know what the process was like for you when coming out as a transgender woman to your company. Did it go as expected?

Signy: Generally, yes, it went really well, thankfully. I’m close with my boss and direct team, so I had a safe assumption they’d be supportive.

As far as the whole company is concerned, we have an inclusive and diverse culture, but even still, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Coming out can feel like one giant risk. I did my best to be vulnerable and honest, and my coworkers responded in kind, thankfully.

Mariah: Wow. That is truly great to hear.

In what way did you choose to notify your workplace?

Signy: Over the course of a couple of days, I drafted a letter to my creative director. As far as I knew, I was the only trans person on the team, so beyond coming out, I wanted to provide educational resources that could help frame the conversation in a broader context.

In my letter, I explained what was changing (name, pronouns, etc.), what wasn’t changing, and what might change in the future. I wanted to lay the groundwork for a mutual and respectful conversation that could continue into the future.

After receiving a super supportive response from my boss, I included HR in the conversation. Paper trails are important, so all of this was documented via email. From there, we worked together, with the ball in my court, to share the news with the rest of the company. This resulted in a slightly edited and less personal email that was sent to the broader team.

Mariah: It sounds like you handled the situation thoughtfully and that your boss was accommodating in this process.

As there are stories of those that received negative responses when coming out, a reader may wonder if you received any negative responses during your process?

Signy: Thankfully, no. I count myself really lucky in that regard. I’ve certainly had to correct improper pronouns or the use of my deadname, but I never experienced what seemed intentional negativity/judgment during and after my coming out.

Mariah: Would you recommend this way of e-mailing a boss before coming out to the rest of the workplace for the initial gauging of a response?

Signy: Everyone’s path to coming out is going to be different. Not everyone is close to their boss or works in a trans-friendly environment. Sending an email worked well for me because it gave me the time to reflect, edit, and consider what was worth sharing and what wasn’t. As I said before, it also leaves a paper trail that can come in handy if you face any discrimination or mistreatment. Including HR early is also a great idea.

No matter your approach, I think it’s helpful to have an ally — hopefully, a co-worker you trust and respect. This can make the process feel less daunting and lonely and provide a source of support.

Mariah: Thank you. That is really valuable advice.

Are you now or were you ever a part of any support groups or educational groups?

Signy: The AskTransgender subreddit was an excellent personal resource for me. It can be a great place to safely field questions to other trans folks, including strategies for coming out at your workplace.

GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, and The National Center for Transgender Equality are great resources you can use to educate your coworkers.

Unfortunately, many industries, including the tech industry, don’t treat transgender and gender non-conforming people with the respect and equality they deserve. Educating your coworkers through coming out can act as a powerful and empowering way to combat workplace ignorance and inequality.

Mariah: Is there a piece of advice you would give to transgender individuals searching for a tech industry career?

Signy: Don’t settle for a toxic environment, no matter the pay or opportunity. Transphobia and gender inequality are still prevalent in the tech industry. Regardless, there are companies that foster inclusive, diverse, and forward-thinking workplaces that would love to have your unique perspective. It might take time to find them, but it’s worth it.

Mariah: Anything else you would like to share for readers wanting to come out?

Signy: As cheesy as it might sound, be your absolute self. Don’t let fear or fear of what others might think to rule your choices or keep you from being who you are or want to be.

And listen to yourself — coming out is an important step, one that shouldn’t be rushed or forced — and more importantly, should only be a decision you make for yourself.

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If you are planning to come out to your workplace, family, friends, or others, here are some resources that may be of aid.

And remember — You deserve to be here, and your voice matters.

For co-workers:

http://transgenderlawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/forcoworkers.pdf

https://www.hrc.org/resources/being-an-lgbtq-ally

https://transequality.org/issues/resources/understanding-transgender-people-the-basics

For organizations:

https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/Transgender_Inclusion_in_the_Workplace_A_Toolkit_for_Employers_Version_10_14_2016.pdf

https://outandequal.org/toolkits-guides/

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/trans_forming_the_workplace_to_be_transgender_inclusive

For individuals: