Making job search easier for transgenders
Applicants need to be honest and employers open and educated about hurdles
There may come a day — to put a different spin on Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote — when those seeking a job will be judged by the content of their character, not their nontraditional projection of gender.
But for now, community advocates say transgender people face barriers to employment — in addition to feeling greater anxiety over such things as job interviews, than others might have simply over what colour tie to wear.
“Sometimes women will have a bit of a five o’clock shadow, or a jawline that looks too masculine, or they haven’t undergone voice therapy yet,” said Hibbs Briscoe, who helped organize the Open Doors job fair for the transgender community.
The fair, the first of its kind in Hamilton, and perhaps only the second in Canada (Toronto hosted a similar event in November), was held Monday at the NGen Youth Centre downtown.
It was an opportunity for those in the trans community to apply for jobs, or simply meet employers open to giving them a chance.
More than a dozen local employers participated in the fair, among them, DependableIT, Concentrix call centre, Good Shepherd Centres, Carmen’s Banquet Centre, and Sodexo, a facilities management company.
“Sodexo is one of the top-ranked diversity employers so we thought this was a great opportunity to present what we do,” said human resources manager Oveeta Ramoutar, hosting her company’s booth.
The idea for the job fair came out of discussions between Briscoe, and Karl Andrus, who are taking a course in community engagement at Mohawk College’s City School (free courses aimed at offering a taste of the college education experience.)
PATH Employment Services helped facilitate the event: “We were honoured to be asked and happy to help the initiative,” said Tara Aronson, a manager with PATH.
PATH assists people with disabilities access meaningful employment. Being transgender is not a disability, said Briscoe, but there are some in the community — which she estimates numbers 200 — who live with disabilities, in addition to anxieties specific to their lives.
“One of the things they struggle with is (gender) dysphoria,” said Briscoe, “which is when you look in the mirror and you don’t see the sex you believe you are.”
One of the first job fair clients through the door Monday was Kristeen (she asked that her last name not be published for fear of harassment.)
A little over seven years ago, she worked at a local fast food place when she was still Christopher. She says she was teased in her workplace
“It stings, when all you want is to do something positive with your life.”
Kristeen says if she went for a job interview today she would tell an employer she is a member of the transgender community.
“I don’t have to let them know, but I’m an honest person and it’s good to know that I’m safe.”
If this dynamic sounds tricky to navigate for employers unsure sure how to address job seekers, Autumn Getty — who facilitates a local trans peer support group, and hatched the idea for the job fair — says the best practice is to ask which pronoun is preferred.