Amplify Your Work

How to respect our trans and nonbinary coworkers

Hiring, office politics, freelancing, and Slack message edits (they did what??)
Rey Katz 5 min read
How to respect our trans and nonbinary coworkers

Hi friends,

I was going to write about best practices if you have a trans or nonbinary coworker in the office. But honestly, it feels pretty obvious. You know, use their correct name and pronouns. If you mess up, say “sorry,” briefly, and move on. Don’t use gendered words like “ladies,” “girls,” “boys,” etc. End of story.

What is more interesting to me is what work opportunities are you recruiting trans people for? “All of them,” you say, knowing it is the correct answer. But are you (or your company) considering any candidates for C-level positions who happen to be trans? When you look for social media managers, web developers, copywriters, lawyers, are you seeking out LGBTQ-friendly businesses and considering trans experts?

I love seeing trans people become editors-in-chief, managers, producers, etc. While it is not every trans person’s (additional) job to advocate for LGBTQ rights, simply being in a position of power sends a message. We are competent. We are good at our jobs. We deserve respect.

Close up photo of an orange tulip flower, petals open wide
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