Inequality and Disparity in the Work World: Seeking and Maintaining Employment as a Black Trans Woman
Let Me Begin
I often get asked by cis folks what I do for work, and it’s a sensitive question for me. As a Black trans woman, I find my anxiety rising when I hear those words. Because our society is so centered around work, my mind goes into this state of questioning myself about why I’m not working, even while I know it’s not for lack of trying. Even worse, these questions remind me of all the work-place trauma I have faced. The fact of not having consistent work sometimes weighs on me heavily. It is a gorilla on my back, and I feel it pressing down with full force. It doesn’t HAVE to be this way, but as most trans people will tell you, it IS. Getting and keeping jobs that provide a stable and healthy environment is a true and ongoing challenge for those of us in the trans community. And when you add Blackness to transness, the hills we climb get steeper.
The Application
For me, finding employment is difficult and can be an uncomfortable experience. Pulling up my laptop on a daily basis and surfing job sites for work is my full-time job at the moment. I come across several applications every day, and I find myself getting frustrated when I’m filling them out. For example, I have to put in my government or legal name with a red asterisk. I have seen applications where sexuality is linked with which gender you identify as. On one application, the drop-down options for “gender identity,” had gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and "transsexual." Sexuality and gender are not the same, and should never be grouped together.
It's also important to note that “transsexual” is an outdated term that is highly inappropriate and offensive. It’s as if these companies have not put in any effort in being educated about my community.
The Interview
Once an application is accepted, and I have an interview, it can be a grueling experience. When people contact me for an interview, they don’t always understand that I’m a Black trans woman. They often find out during our first contact. These first interviews are always a telling time for me. During one interview, a cis man told me that he was going to struggle to get my pronouns right. He tried to guilt-trip me by saying, “I don’t mean any harm, and I should get some slack for trying.” Obviously, I didn’t move forward with that job. In another interview, I was asked, by a cis woman, “Are you fully a woman yet, and have you had the surgery yet?” I was put in a situation where I had to explain to her that being trans is forever and does not coincide with body parts.
Where’s the Representation?
I’ve lived and worked in Colorado and California since starting my transition at the end of 2019, and I have yet to work somewhere without being discriminated against. I have never had a trans or non-binary manager, which is a major issue for a trans women. How can this problem ever be solved if my community is not able to move up in the workforce? These employers don’t know the daily struggle we trans folks face even just to get to work without harassment, aggression, or micro-aggression. Then, once we are there, we are being disrespected and ridiculed. I clock in and get misgendered by customers and coworkers. I share my pronouns and refer to myself as “Miss Lola,” just to still be called “sir.” I have been laughed at and scoffed at on the job simply for expecting people to recognize me as my true self. It's brutal and mentally exhausting.
"LGBTQ+ Friendly"
Have you ever seen a workplace advertise itself as “LGBTQ+ friendly,” or “inclusive”? Have you seen a workplace claim that “we thrive to make our workplace as diverse as possible”? I have often come across these promises when applying for jobs. The terminology has lured me in, just for me to be exposed to an unsafe, uncomfortable, or toxic work environment. I’ve found that the workplace in the US, for a Black trans woman, can be cold and cruel.
Hostile Work Environment
I find it ironic that jobs give out pronoun badges and pins. Why? Because the CEOs of a lot of these corporations funnel money into anti-LGBTQ organizations and political candidates. She/her are my pronouns, and I have worn these pins/badges just to get called “he/him,” which is harmful and violent. I’ve worked several jobs in both the apartment leasing and food services industries. I’ve found that, when you work in a place where customers and vendors can just walk in, you run a very high risk of being misgendered. You cannot control who walks in. It does not matter if you have a huge pride sticker or flag.
There are just some people who will not acknowledge your gender identity. For this reason, every job has negatively triggered my gender dysphoria. Comments about my appearance are a constant thing I had to deal with. I once presented a solution at one of my jobs here in LA, about tweaking the dress code, so that trans women could feel more comfortable in the workplace. They refused to consider any alternatives, and I felt they weren’t willing to hear me at all, because they don’t understand the pain/frustration of gender dysphoria. In some jobs, I have even been reprimanded by managers about perceived dress code violations. It felt like they wanted to box me in and not let me express my womanhood.
A “Cis-Tem”
Living in a society where you have to work in order to survive feels like climbing Mount Everest. The United States is plagued by racial capitalism, which sets a precedent for a transphobic and racist work world. There are people in my community who live on the streets and are in dire situations because they aren’t able to find jobs.
Currently, I am unemployed and still searching for part or full-time work. I have had interviews that are video and in-person. None of those companies has hired me or moved forward with my application, despite the fact that I’m fully qualified and have good references. At the end of the day, the reality is that my job choices are limited. Like I said earlier, many employers won’t hire me because of anti-trans and anti-Black biases. And if I do get hired, many workplaces will not accept me for me.
Equality & Equity
I want to see a world where my trans sisters, trans brothers, and I can thrive in safe workplaces. Trans-visibility is vital for the survival of my community. True equality and equity will only ever come when my community is thriving and integrated into our society. Giving us equal access to employment and actually hiring us is crucial to that. Give us the same opportunities as that of cisgendered individuals, and you’ll see the many ways we can contribute, innovate, and create.
