A Transgender Day of Remembrance Impact Story

Did you know that, in America, the cost of living for transgender people is approximately 35% higher than cisgender people during the first eight to ten years of their transition, and approximately 10% higher for the rest of their lives afterward? On average, the medical cost of transition for the first eight to ten years sits around $150,000 dollars. Combine that with the reality that less than half of all states in the USA have legal protections for transgender people for housing and employment and you begin to see how the transgender community—not just in the USA, but globally—is at risk. And yet, despite these sobering statistics, there’s cause for hope.

Now, I could sit here and throw more statistics at you, such as transgender people are more than 40% more likely to have attempted suicide than cis folks. Or how each year since 2015 in the USA has surpassed the previous year as the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans. But instead, for this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, I think I’d rather tell you a story: my story.

My name is Stephanie Danielle Gonzalez, and I’m a transgender American. In 2015, at the age of 25 and after a third suicide attempt, I finally decided that I needed to make a change. Clearly, I was deeply at odds with myself, and that internal struggle was distressing to a breaking point. So after much soul searching, many tears, and long visits with a therapist (not to mention steeling myself for the possibility of being disowned), I decided to take the plunge and transition from male to female.

In late 2019, I was hired by ILFI, and the support, safety, and stability offered me by the Institute allowed me to finally break out of a cycle of mere survival and truly begin to thrive.

At the time, I was going to college in Savannah, GA, and working a minimum-wage job. When I initially came out and met with the HR department to discuss my transition, I was initially met with, shall we say, indifferent ‘support’. Less than two months later, I was let go for “not being a good cultural fit.” But it was the South, after all. Not exactly a region of the country known for its acceptance and support for LGBTQ people. So I decided to move to Seattle in 2016.

For three years in Seattle, I bounced from one minimum wage job to another, frequently hearing that I “wasn’t a good cultural fit” or a variation thereof. Because of this, it was very difficult to find and maintain housing. Indeed, I was briefly homeless for a time. But thankfully, in late 2019, I was hired by ILFI, and the support, safety, and stability offered me by the Institute allowed me to finally break out of a cycle of mere survival and truly begin to thrive. Without exaggeration, ILFI truly saved my life, in no small measure because of Just.

At a time in history when transgender people are…effectively being legislated out of existence…written policies can codify protections for transgender employees in a way where legislation is struggling to catch up.

Just^® aims to help organizations foster inclusive and equitable environments for all employees; however, there are several Indicators that can be especially impactful towards making transgender employees feel welcome and supported. For starters, Just’s Gender Diversity Indicator calls for organizations to create and maintain gender-diverse workplaces that include historically underrepresented genders, including people who identify as women, transgender, or nonbinary. 

In the upcoming 2024 release of Just 3.0, we intend to introduce new Indicators such as Belonging and Equitable Recruitment. These additions will create more chances to show support and allyship to transgender employees. This type of work is particularly important. At a time in history when transgender people are under legal attack and effectively being legislated out of existence in places across the world, these written policies can codify protections for transgender employees in a way where legislation is struggling to catch up. 

Being able to read an organization’s Just label can go a long way in showing a potential candidate that the housing, work, whatever, is an accepting and supportive environment.

As anyone with experience can tell you, when you’re facing down the barrel of homelessness and unemployment, time is of the utmost essence. One simply cannot afford to waste time applying for a job if they’ll simply be let go three weeks later for being transgender. Being able to read an organization’s Just label can go a long way in showing a potential candidate that the housing, work, whatever, is an accepting and supportive environment, and not a waste of time.

And it’s not just the right thing to do that will give you the warm fuzzies. I mean, it is that, but it’s also just smart business. While the statistics are currently changing as acceptance for transgender people continues to grow (albeit slowly), roughly 70% of transgender individuals begin their transition after the age of 30, when they have been in the workforce for at least a decade. Combine that with the fact that over half of transgender individuals are fired after they begin their transition, you can begin to see the untapped potential of experience looking for employment.

Of course, there’s also the boost to morale and employee retention when an organization is transparent about its commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in and beyond the workplace.

I hope on this Transgender Day of Remembrance, you can begin to see how a Just label can become more than just a “nutrition label for equitable organizations,” as we like to call it. It’s a voluntary disclosure tool and a transparency platform to disclose your operations, attract diverse candidates, boost morale, and enhance your culture. It’s an investment in your community. But most of all, with a Just label, it could genuinely save lives.

Just like ILFI did for me.

Ready to begin your Just^® journey?

Header Photo by ink drop on Adobe Stock