Despite being the most visible members of the community, transpersons are paradoxically rendered invisible when it comes to workplace diversity and inclusion. To shed light on the often-overlooked experiences of transpersons within the vibrant LGBTQIA+ community, Global DEI Alliance by The Times Group hosted its first webinar of 2024, titled ‘Beyond the Binary: Path to Creating a Trans-Friendly Workplace’, on January 11. The webinar questioned the prevailing dynamics where gender identity tends to take a back seat to sexual orientation diversity.
The speakers for the evening were Ritushree Panigrahi, lawyer, DEI professional, corporate speaker, and India’s first trans stand-up comedian, and Anubhuti Banerjee, who is executive assistant to the Chief Information Officer at Tata Steel, founder of ‘Wings,’ an employee resource group, and the first out employee of the organisation.
Banerjee began the session by comparing her journey to that of the making of steel. “The journey of steel begins as unstable red ore deep beneath layers of dust. Extracted, subjected to intense tests in hot furnaces and extreme cold, it transforms into the strong, shiny metal foundational to society. The journey of a transperson is similar,” she said.
Panigrahi’s journey in the workplace has been marked by visibility challenges, particularly within the corporate culture. Growing up without role models in this sphere, she struggled to find representation and authenticity. Before her coming out, she pursued a diverse range of interests, becoming a lawyer, engaging in sports, and finding solace in stand-up comedy. After discovering the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), she embarked on a mission to make workplaces more inclusive.
Inclusion—beyond the idea of hiring cis-het women and extending to LGBTQIA+
“Supposedly inclusive organisations with Pride flags in their Linkedin headers refrain from hiring from the LGBTQIA+ community. You cannot exclude a group and then claim to be inclusive,” said Panigrahi. Having encountered challenges in the job market, she stressed upon organisations which claimed inclusivity but often limit it to cis-het women.
Concerns around washrooms, documentation, and medical leave for gender surgeries persist. Most documents for transpeople are in their dead name and changing that to their chosen name is a long cumbersome process in India. “I personally experienced rejection from a company, attributing it to misconceptions about a potential two-year break due to hormone therapy,” she added. The lack of awareness and reluctance to understand the unique needs of trans employees hinder true inclusivity, highlighting the existing biases and challenges within Indian corporate culture.
Being ‘woke’n up by new generation
The imperative for corporations to embrace inclusivity is magnified by the evolving preferences of the new generation entering the workforce. The Deloitte Global 2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work Survey reveals a third of respondents are looking to change jobs as they want a more LGBT+ inclusive employer. This trend is not confined to traditional corporate structures; it extends across various institutions and industries.
The new generation values open cultures and is vocal about their identities. Companies that fail to prioritise and actively work towards creating inclusive environments risk falling out of business, as the emerging workforce prioritises workplaces that celebrate diverse identities over monetary incentives. Inclusivity is not just a business necessity; it is reflective of an organisation’s ethos, acknowledging that everyone has the right to be themselves for optimal performance and well-being.
“There is a lot of difference between discrimination and inclusion. In the latter, we celebrate someone’s identity and let them be their truest self. So saying ‘hey we don’t discriminate’ doesn’t translate to being inclusive. You cannot send Virat Kohli to play a cricket match in handcuffs. You have to let him free and that is what is true for every gender and sexuality,” Panigrahi added.
Hiring vs policies—the chicken and the egg conundrum
In the case of their organisation, Banerjee, representing one of the oldest companies in India, Tata Steel, shared insights into the critical decision-making process regarding the inclusion of trans individuals. Faced with the challenge of economic inclusion, particularly for trans people in the East
India region, Tata Steel chose to prioritise inclusion by actively hiring from the trans community. The decision was driven by the understanding that economic inclusion is an immediate need, not merely a future goal dependent on policy changes. She emphasised the urgency of dismantling unconscious biases in the workplace, challenging traditional views on gender, and advocating for an organisation where merit, not gender, determines one’s role and opportunities. She highlighted the importance of taking tangible steps today rather than waiting for policies to evolve gradually, fostering a more inclusive work environment.
The journey towards genuine workplace inclusion demands a paradigm shift that transcends policies and procedural changes. Empathy is the cornerstone of true inclusion, and demanding proof of ‘merit’ unfairly perpetuates discrimination by presupposing that trans individuals are hired solely for representation rather than their skills. The call for immediate economic inclusion resonates with the recognition that policies alone are insufficient; tangible actions are needed today to dismantle unconscious biases and reshape workplace dynamics.
There is a need for a supportive onboarding process to ensure that individuals from marginalised communities, once hired, do not experience isolation during their initial months in the workplace. This holistic approach, grounded in empathy, serves as a powerful catalyst for breaking down barriers, fostering a workplace where merit prevails over stereotypes, and where every individual, regardless of gender or background, can thrive.
