Finding Work

Nearly three months ago I lost my job due to my transition. When my employer became aware of it they very carefully avoided firing me but created a hostile atmosphere in which I could no longer work. After much internal struggle I chose to walk away for the sake of preserving my mental, emotional and physical health. Unfortunately, my experience is all too common. Nationally transgender people enjoy no blanket legal protections for employment. In many states employers may terminate an employee because of their gender identity without any legal concern, or refuse to hire someone on that basis. Our status in the eyes of the law remains very muddled and ambiguous, leading to high rates of unemployment and workplace discrimination. (This article describes many of the challenges we face as transgender people seeking employment.) The federal government has taken proactive steps to change policies and attitudes, but cannot change the basic status of protecting transgender rights without congressional action, which remains extremely unlikely in the current Congress.

With this bleak picture I set out on my search for a new job. The job market in my region remains weak, which makes finding work difficult for anyone. When you approach the challenge with the added twist of being transgender it becomes even more daunting. Throughout the process I wondered how potential employers would respond when the met me in person. How would new coworkers receive me? Would I find a job I could enjoy and a welcoming, affirming workplace environment?

I consider myself very fortunate to have finally found a job at all. My fortune goes much deeper though, in that I landed at an employer with an actively affirmative policy on diversity. My new coworkers welcomed me warmly and positively. The atmosphere is welcoming and affirming. I won’t quite say it is my dream job (I still haven’t figured out what that would be) but in terms of the possible scenarios, I could not have asked for a better situation. After a month of working at the organization as a temporary worker I will transition to full-time regular status next week.

I wish I were not an exception to the general employment situation facing transgender people. I am thankful for the opportunity I have, but I want to see the laws changed so that we receive the same basic civil rights that others face. It’s bitterly ironic to me that many of those who would deny us full civil rights come from religious backgrounds. They already enjoy the advantage of having their religious views protected and would now use their privileged position to deny equal protection to others. It’s time for a change and I remain hopeful that we will see it happen in the near future.