Changing Sex at Work: Real Life Guidelines for EA and HR Professionals

1. Changing Sex at Work:Real Life Guidelines for EA and HR Professionals Pam Wyss, LICSW, CEAP King County EAP Seattle, WA

2. Today’s Objectives • Familiarize participants with terms • Explore implications of being transgendered • Provide an overview of “transition” - impacts on the workplace • Identify workplace challenges - how EA and HR professionals can assist • List additional resources

3. About Pam

4. Confusion of Terms 101 Sex & Gender Refer to what we are -male or female- But they refer to different things

5. Confusion of Terms 101

6. Gender Identity Disorder(aka, transsexual, transgendered) A condition in which an individual’s innate sense of gender is different from the physical sex as which he or she was born

7. DSM-IV-TR: This preoccupation may be manifested as an intense desire to adopt the social role of the other sex or to acquire the physical appearance of the other sex through hormonal or surgical manipulation. Adults with this disorder are uncomfortable being regarded by others as, or functioning in society as, a member of their designated [birth] sex.

8. The Transsexual’s Dilemma Sex = Gender

9. Living with Gender Dysphoria Body/mind incongruence – something’s wrong Aware of being “different” – don’t belong Isolate and withdraw or ostracism and violence Social roles to extremes

10. Secrets and lies: struggle for intimacy Confusion, guilt, shame and fear Depression, substance abuse Self-mutilate

11. Options 1) Live with it 2) Transition 3) The “Third Option”

12. “Transition” The beginning-to-end process of openly and publicly redefining and reintegrating one’s intrapersonal relationship with self, his or her interpersonal relationships with others, social and legal identities, physical sex, personal psychology, external appearance and day-to-day presentation from male to female or female to male.

13. Transition Impacts Everything Family Social Physical Psychological Legal Economic Job Career

14. Transition Involves

15. Transition at Work Ways to come out Reactions to expect

16. Transition at Work Plan

17. The Transition Team Employee Human Resource Representative Employee Assistance Professional Supervisor or Manager (Union Representative)

18. Workplace Considerations Before Transition Workplace culture Previous attempts by others Current business climate Relative value, relationships

19. Job itself Company policies and municipal protections Financial stability & available time off External support systems

20. Planning Essentials Who to tell What to say (and not say) How to say it Timing

21. The Bathroom Before Transition Don’t assume the right to use the opposite sex bathroom Do assume the right to have safe access to a bathroom

22. Anticipate others’ concerns Expect disagreement, challenge (regardless) Physical options: may be “inconvenienced” Finalize arrangements before transition

23. The Bathroom During Transition Go with a friend Smile Use it and leave it It’s a bathroom; not a political stump!

24. Locker Rooms Install doors or curtains Designate accessible stalls Designate accessible times Designate accessible facilities

25. Names & Pronouns Match physical presentation If in doubt, ask If it’s wrong, remind Expect slip-ups

26. Dress & Appearance Gender neutral Match to the new sex Low-key and gradual Follow dress codes

27. Other Workplace Changes Personnel file and picture ID Business cards Door placards Phone and electronic directories Insurance & benefits Notifying customers and colleagues Parking Security

28. Harassment & Hostile Work Environment Be pro-active – review policies and expectations before transition begins Be re-active – address it as soon as it happens; enforce policy Zero tolerance – No exceptions

29. Communication: the Key to Minimizing Problems • Transgender: what it is (and what it isn’t) • How and when it’s going to happen • Expectations - theirs and yours • Schedule, duty, work-space changes • Safety and security (e.g., the bathroom) • What to do with questions/concerns • Additional resources (EAP, HR, other)

30. Where Laws May Protect 13 States + District of Columbia California Colorado Hawaii Illinois Iowa Maine Minnesota New Jersey New Mexico Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Washington Plus 91+ U.S. counties and cities Transgender Law & Policy Institute (www.transgenderlaw.org) 9/2007

31. Three Laws That Don’t Protect Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007

32. Businesses That May Protect Many more than you may think (and the list is growing every day) http://www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/cei.htm

33. Resources - Internet • Human Rights Campaign http://www.hrc.org/ • Transgender Law & Policy Institute http://www.transgenderlaw.org/ • Cadrain, D. (2004). Transgender Issues in the Workplace http://www.transgenderlaw.org/resources/HR-Wire.pdf

34. Resources - Books • Brown, M., & Rounsley, C. A. (2003). True Selves – Understanding Transsexualism for Families, Friends, Co-Workers and Helping Professionals. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Ettner, R. (1999). Gender Loving Care: A Guide to Counseling Gender-Variant Clients. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

35. Resources - DVD • Anderson, J. (Director). (2003) Normal [Motion Picture] United States: HBO Home Entertainment. • Berliner, A. (Director). (1997) Ma Vie En Rose [Motion Picture] France: Sony Pictures Classics.