Scene Four: Thursday, July 12 2007:
Including and Engaging People who are Transgender and Bisexual in the Workplace
Questions generated at the session on transgender and bisexual issues
Participants had the opportunity to write down questions they or their co-workers might have about transgender and bisexual issues. Below is a list of all questions. For answers to some of these, and other questions, refer to the FAQs.
Questions on transgender issues:
- If Washington State law requires a drag queen to use the men's room, because the individual has male sexual organs, why us a transgender individual who has not had a reassignment surgery not required to do the same?
- Why can't we just take "M/F" signs down and have just "restrooms" on the sign?
- After learning about a trans or bi employee: What should we tell our suppliers/customers/coworkers? How much is this going to cost us in legal liability and other costs?
- Since customer is military, how would T/B present info or get manager to have T/B at meetings?
- Why would it be necessary or appropriate to have a transgender person use a different restroom? I'm trying to understand how giving different treatment in this way is beneficial to the individual...is it because of the need for a stall for privacy?
- What if there are coworkers or customers who are uncomfortable working with a trans or bi individual?
- It seems that the majority of transgender issued are dealing with male to female. What about female to male where they may not have bottom surgery? How do you help companies address these issues/concerns?
- How will we cover a transgender person or their spouse with insurance?
- Will a transgender person get maternity/paternity leave?
- What questions, if any, are appropriate to ask in the workplace?
- Which bathroom do I use? What will my coworkers think? How will the benefits work? What will be the impact to my job (fight or flight)?
- When and how do we help make transgender transition to bathrooms? Employee concern: I don't feel comfortable with someone of the opposite sex in the female bathroom.
- Will my coworkers treat me with respect if they find out I'm transgender? Will they reject me?
- How do you educate employees about the rights of transgender people to use their identified gender bathroom?
- How do I bring my whole self to work? Managers want to know what is my responsibility and what does that look like?
- What is the parentage of transgender employees who lose their jobs as a result of the transition process?
- How does one address the question of Judeo-Christian/Islam moral teachings regarding homosexual/bisexual/transgender issues?
- What should I call them?
- How should we address locker room issues?
- Fear of being evaluated not based on my work, but on my sexual orientation.
- Is it safe to ask if they're transgender to open up a discussion?
- How can a manager make the work atmosphere comfortable for a transgender worker? How can I make sure that a transgender individual is made to feel comfortable in the workplace?
- What do you call an individual who was born with both sexual organs? How should that individual be treated on the job regarding bathrooms?
- How should employees act around a transgender person? Ignore the transgender employee? Is it ok to ask questions?
- What are the statistics of the percentage of companies (Fortune 500) that have gender identity language in their non-discrimination policies?
- A concern might be that in a sales organization having a transsexual employee will be a risk to new business.
- How do you incorporate old documentation that says one gender, when everything else says the other?
- What bathroom accommodations are appropriate? How do we do logistics?
- How do you have employment applications not "out" someone?
- How will customers relate to this person? Will they feel comfortable or take their business elsewhere?
- Can you talk about changing pronouns when the person transitions (as opposed to when or if gender reassignment surgery occurs)?
- As a transgender employee, what are your policies and philosophy about the treatment of me?
- As a manager, how can I help create an inclusive and safe environment for a transgender employee?
- How might the dynamics of our working relationships change if a different gender identification is expressed? Affection, touch, etc.
- How does a coworker appropriately support a transgender employee when coming out?
- How does a transgender woman sales rep sell to a customer who does not deal with women?
Questions on bisexual issues:
- What about conversations limiters? I'll avoid asking you about your life for fear of offending you, or worse yet, open myself to a discrimination case.
- How to appropriately engage bisexual employees when hosting events that include significant others?
- What questions, if any, are appropriate to ask in the workplace?
- Is it safe to ask them about their sexual identity to open up discussion?
- What about the scenario that a co-worker finds out the other co-worker is bisexual and assumes that the individual is attracted to them and fears harassment?
- People generally get hung up on the "sex" part of bisexual. Is the term "bi" appropriate to be used in place of bisexual?
- Why is it necessary for someone to bring up being bisexual in the work environment?
- As a manager, how many questions can I ask to make employees feel included?
- How do we do to handle a situation if we have a transgender or bisexual employee?
- What is the purpose of talking about sexuality at work?
- How can you deal with team members and managers who have a phobia about B/T?
- If I come out bisexual, how do co-workers know I'm not hitting on them and I'm not interested in them?
- If I tell my manager that my partner is same sex, etc. will I lose benefits for them? How can I find out my family's benefits?
- How do you respond to employees thinking that bisexual flirting is sexual harassment?
- If an employee comes to you as a manager and says that they feel they are being discriminated against based n sexual orientation, how do you as a manger validate an employee's concerns about being harassed or retaliated against because of sexual orientation (since transgender is a broad definition)?
- How do I make a GLBT feel comfortable around me? On what level can I relate to them? I'd like to chat and be friendly, but feel like they may be uncomfortable around me, too, i.e. if a lesbian is in the women's restroom and we meet, do I shake her hand or how do I engage in conversation?
- As a hiring manager, what questions can I ask a potential employee to test their tolerance and acceptance? Especially if the employee would be supporting a gay or lesbian in a leadership position?
- What will my coworkers think?
- What resources does my company have?
- Are you gay?
- If you switch partners and they are the other gender than a previous partner, what is a proactive approach to address co-worker concerns?
- What bathrooms do bisexual people use? What bisexual policies do we have in place?
- If a bi person asks a manager about coming out and the manager says, "Don't," is it sexual harassment?
- Are more women bisexual than men?
Scene Four was the fourth session of the 2007 NW Diversity Learning Series, Life Theater - Inclusion and Engagement: Challenging and Expanding My Diversity Competency: Moving Beyond My Comfort Zone. The Series, held in Seattle, WA, is organized by The GilDeane Group, publishers of DiversityCentral.com.
Presenters were Jillian Weiss, Ph.D., J.D. Principal Consultant, Jillian T. Weiss & Associates, and Assistant Professor of Law and Society, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ, and Robyn Ochs, Ed.M., a professional speaker on bisexual identity and editor of Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World, Boston, MA.