InterLaw Diversity Forum for LGBT Networks

The InterLaw Diversity Forum is committed to being inclusive of, and progressing equality for, the transgender community. We seek to incorporate transgender issues into the core of our work and strive to hold innovative events aimed at addressing and promoting transgender equality in the legal sector. 

If you would like to contribute to the InterLaw Diversity Forum’s transgender work, please contact Daniel Winterfeldt or Lucy Annison who would be delighted to hear from you.  

To find out more about transgender issues and research and support available, please see the links below:

For any LGBT network wishing to learn more about how to make their organisations more inclusive of trans people, Galop have created a resource called ‘Shining the Light: 10 Keys to Becoming a Trans Positive Organisation’.

The Gender Trust supports those who have, or are supporting those with, questions concerning their gender identity. They also support corporate clients, ranging from advice when an employee is transitioning through to awareness training. 

Press for Change is a non-profit organisation which works to achieve equality for trans people through legislation and social change. Their website has comprehensive information and research on related legal, medical, political and social issues.

Transgender Community in the Workplace Event (1 November 2011, Lloyds Banking Group)

On 1st November Lloyds Banking Group hosted in conjunction with InterLaw Diversity Forum the “Transgender Community in the Workplace” seminar to a packed house consisting of a mix of members from various LGBT professional networks as well as HR and diversity personnel. The session was engaging, eye-opening and lively and it was a great opportunity to hear from members of the transgender community as well as diversity officers on how best to make the workplace an inclusive environment for the T population.

Michelle Bridgman of the Gender Trust opened the session. Drawing on her extensive experience working with the Gender Trust and educating organisations on how best to manage the experience of the T community in the workplace, she illustrated the major strides that have taken place with the advent of the Gender Recognition Act. However, she was clear to point out that the Act was not a panacea to transgender inequalities and illustrated the paradox that a transgender person who is married or in a civil partnership would have to divorce in order to acquire legal recognition of their gender under the Act. As ever legislation failed to give due consideration to the range of possible scenarios that a transgender person might face and the consequence that equality remains evidently not for all. She also pointed out that the Act is often erroneously used as a marker as to whether someone is a man or a woman, and stated that one’s gender should be respected within and beyond the workplace in their gender whether or not they fit its criteria. 

Michelle saw that in many cases transphobia has a strong overlap with homophobia, and she felt that with many common battles still to be fought, there are benefits of having the LGB and T communities work together. Her mantra is that everyone has to work together to “change hearts and minds” on both sides of the equation and that written policies will only become real when we all learn about the experiences of the T community, and when transgender people feel able to celebrate their lives rather than seek permission. 

Tony Burnett, the head of diversity and inclusion at Lloyds Banking Group, explained the importance of building a separate and specific diversity agenda for working with the T community. The HR team at Lloyds has focused on training all line managers so that they are aware of how to handle transgender employees and this benefits the Bank as it looks to grow its relationships with the wider LGBT community, including as customers.

The opportunity to hear directly from Kimberly Bird of Lloyds Banking Group and Susan Witts of Credit Suisse about their personal experiences in coming out as transgender employees was invaluable. Their frank and lively insights really helped make the seminar a great opportunity for all to learn more about how best to welcome transgender people into the workforce. A clear message was how important the name is for any transgender person coming out, and there were interesting anecdotes of how colleagues were very good at using the names but that systems and technologies frequently were more challenging such as having their old names re-instated, e.g. for log-ins that created work access problems. Kimberly pointed out that it would be of great benefit for HR teams to ensure that there is someone who can support with all these technology and systems matters so that the transgender person does not have to manage these issues. 

Susan also spoke about the role everyone, including transgender people themselves, had to place in facilitating an inclusive workplace and advised everyone that “it is all a question of ice, you just have to break it”.

We would like to thank the Rainbow network of Lloyds Bank Group for hosting this engaging seminar. For any LGBT network wishing to learn more about how to make their organisations more inclusive of trans people, the resource by Galop called ‘Shining the Light: 10 Keys to Becoming a Trans Positive Organisation’ is recommended.

Lucy Annison and Kerrin Roberts, InterLaw Diversity Forum Committee Members