​How to be more trans-friendly in your organization

By Faye Seidler

fayeseidler@gmail.com

Last week I talked about the importance of having trans representation when creating any policy that affects trans lives. Here I'll be shifting the focus from trans representation to the actual policies an organization would want to look at and develop. There are several broad strategies an organization can take to be more trans-friendly, and they come with tangible benefits to the organization as a whole.

The easiest place to start is to look at the state of an organization’s restrooms; specifically, whether or not it has any gender-neutral restrooms. Does it have a bathroom that someone can use if they don’t feel comfortable using the men’s room or woman’s room? Does it have a place that a mother can take her five-year-old son in with her? Does it have a place where both men and women can easily access a baby changing station? These are issues that everyone faces, regardless of their gender identity, that can be solved by providing gender-neutral bathrooms that are accessible to both employees and customers.

Typically, this doesn’t even mean having to construct a new bathroom, as most organizations have single-occupancy stalls that can be converted into gender-neutral bathrooms at almost no cost.

There really isn’t any reason to segregate single occupancy bathrooms by gender, especially considering that we all already use a gender-neutral bathroom at home and converting the bathrooms would solve all of the problematic scenarios mentioned above.

Additionally, there is the added benefit of reduced wait times, because there would no longer be a line of people waiting to use one, while the other was free and open.

But really, the coolest feature of making this accommodation is that single-occupancy gender-neutral bathrooms are commonplace, so an organization doesn’t have to worry about political backlash for making the change. It can be a win for everyone, regardless of political standing.

Now, I’ve talked about bathrooms first, because they’re an easy win for everyone, but the most important thing for an organization to have is clear, written, company-wide policies detailing how to handle the circumstances faced by trans individuals. That is to say, having a system in place so that if someone transitions, be it an employee or a client, people will know what to do. This can include how to handle name changes, how to handle gender marker changes, and how the organization will inform its members that a person is transitioning, what pronouns they prefer, and the consequences of discrimination or harassment.

This is really important, because most managers will probably be caught like a deer in the headlights when they find out that one of their employees is transitioning. That person will likely refer to company policy first to see what to do, and if there isn’t one, then there is no telling what they will do.

Clear policies give managers a plan of action, and they give a trans person an understanding from day one of what to expect at a company during a transition. A lack of policies can lead to discrimination, harassment, or even the firing of a trans person just for being trans, which in turn runs the risk of discrimination lawsuits. These policies are important because they protect everyone, whether they are trans or not, and help ensure a smooth transition.

While the things I’ve mentioned so far go a long way, I encourage organizations to round things out by having key staff receive trans cultural competency training as needed. Typically this would mean managers and human resource personnel, to help them understand the processes and best practices for conflict resolution.

Then finally, it’s recommend that various intake forms take into account trans individuals. While certain places do need to know a person’s legal name, there is no reason they need to be called by it. Each form should have a marking for preferred pronouns, preferred name, and a space to write their gender. This is incredibly important for any organization that needs to have a relationship of trust with their clientele. If a trans person doesn’t see a place they can exist on an intake form, they are not going to trust the organization to be respectful or understanding of their identity and needs.

Any organization is welcome to contact me if they’re looking to make their organization more trans-friendly or if they would like trans cultural competency training. However, there are plenty of resources that organizations can draw from online. I personally recommend the Human Rights Campaign, and the National Center for Transgender Equality.

[ Editor’s note: Faye Seidler is a spokeswoman for the North Dakota Safe Zone Project]