WE TALK A LOT about the importance of authenticity. The ability to be true to yourself has been tied to higher engagement, greater workplace satisfaction, better performance, and increased overall well-being. But if your gender identity doesn’t conform to the sex you were assigned at birth, the likelihood is high that you aren’t bringing your whole self to work.
The workplace is deeply unkind to transgender people. Study after study shows that they are stigmatized and discriminated against. A 2015 survey of trans individuals in the United States revealed that an appalling 77% reported taking active steps to avoid mistreatment at work, such as hiding their gender identities or quitting their jobs. Two-thirds reported negative work outcomes, such as being fired or forced to resign, not being hired for a job, or being denied a promotion.
The experience of burying their true natures can be psychologically devastating for trans individuals, as Christian Thorough good of Villanova, Katina Sawyer of George Washington, and Jennica Webster of Marquette note in “Creating a Trans-Inclusive Workplace” (page 114). And “a failure to adopt trans-specific policies and practices can cost businesses dearly,” they write, “in the form of higher turnover, decreased engagement and productivity, and possible litigation.”
The business case for diversity is clear at Harvard Business Review USA Magazine. More important, it’s the right thing to do. At a time when executives are grappling with the proper role of the corporation in society, they can no longer play it safe by simply reflecting the values of the world in which they operate. Businesses have the power to shape sensibilities for the greater good. They should exercise it.

ADI IGNATIUS
Editor in chief

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• MusicTech – March 2020
• D-Photo – February-March 2020