Transphobia and misogyny at work is something that continues to happen in California, both in work spaces, face-to-face and digital.
Non-binary men and women, or who do not identify with their birth gender and wish to assume another, remain vulnerable personalities and victims of aggression by other people with whom they share their professional day-to-day.
Despite being one of the States of the E.E.U.U. With significant progress in LGBTQ+ rights according to the BBC, California continues to face social problems due to issues such as discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Concerning this, more than 60% of the annual complaints to the police and due to these causes, occur mainly in workspaces, which, 38% are treated for verbal harassment towards a woman or for reasons of physical appearance towards another colleague.
Why is this happening?
- Lack of work culture, both face-to-face and remote on the part of employers and workers.
- Absence of clear rules for effective communication within a company.
- Business disinterest in creating conversations that allow addressing problems of social inclusivity.
- Apathy or misinformation about gender identity, sexual orientation, transphobia and employment discrimination.
What to do?
Suppose you think that a person in your professional space suffers from this type of situation due to their gender, physical image or sexual preference. In that case, you can support them through the following actions:
- Offer help: Whether to ask them to report the situation to the authorities or to simply comfort them, offer support to the person so that they can express their position in the best way.
- Avoid generating tension: If a situation arises in which you believe that a colleague offends another because of their gender or sexual identity, respectfully share your point of view with those involved.
- Be impartial in the facts: If you believe that other colleagues intend to create conflicts in your workspace through comments or jokes, do not become part of the action and take measures to prevent them.
- If you were a witness to discrimination, give your testimony: Whether in writing, through a recording or accompanying the victim to make her complaint, do not stop telling your version of the facts to help her.
- Set conversation boundaries: If you think someone is violating another’s gender identity or sexual orientation by using their words or through inappropriate content, let your supervisors or employers know right away.
In short, employment discrimination for these reasons still persists in California, and the best way to take decisive action to be more tolerant and inclusive as a society is to read and inform us about the vulnerabilities that these people experience daily within their spaces. Face-to-face or virtual work.
Therefore, if you think you are a victim of a situation like this or want to support an affected person, we invite you to contact us so that you can learn about the options you have when submitting your case to court. And initiate legal proceedings against a colleague, employer, or company.