<aside> 📖 Try Catch Essentials: Diversity in Tech 1. Introduction of Scale 2. Diversity Workplace Reports 3. Diversity in VC Funding 4. How Diversity Affects the Bottom Line 5. Women in the Workplace 6. Inclusive Leadership 7. True Gender Inclusion in Tech 8. LBGTQ+ Inclusion in Tech Conclusion & Acknowledgements

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Introduction

In the experience of many transgender people who have physically transitioned their gender identity presentation - there is an apparent cultural trend in the tech industry as to how an individual is treated based on their perceived gender.

People who have transitioned to present as a man or a woman from another presentation (intersex, transgender, transexual or cisgender) have experienced the workplace with a unique perspective - and not one that is as inclusive as the industry claims it is.

From the article:

Transgender men typically receive more respect on the job than when they were presenting as female, while transgender women often have to fight harder to get hired and be heard than when they were presenting as male—particularly in the male-dominated tech industry.

Transgender women who have experienced careers both presenting as a male and as a female can act as a real-life blind resume test to expose the gender bias that still exists in tech and other industries: The only variable that changes on their CV is their name.

The real stories of these individuals’ lived experiences signal a clear preferential bias toward masculine presentation in the tech industry.

When it comes to access to opportunity, perception of skill and trust of knowledge it pays more to be perceived as a cisgender man.

Read the report below to learn from the stories of transgender individuals and their perception of the so-called “diversity and inclusion” measures taken by the tech industry today.

The Essential Read

Transgender Employees in Tech: Why This "Progressive" Industry Has More Work to Do to Achieve True Gender Inclusivity | Tech Republic

In many ways, the tech industry isn’t immune from being a reflection of society as much as it revels in its reverence for “disruption.”

According to the stories shared by “outsiders” in the industry, there is a significant and visceral cost to one’s lived experience being perceived as a man.

Following her transition, Olivia Hill - a freelance video game producer based in Japan - fell victim to a round of layoffs which disproportionately affected women.

“The day I was fired, a woman who worked with me was also let go,” Hill said. “We were commiserating, and she said, ‘So what’s it like finally being acknowledged as a woman in tech?’ It’s such a silly point, but that was the moment I felt like my coworkers really, truly embraced me as a woman—the moment I was laid off.”

Read more stories about those experiencing a variety of trans experiences in the tech industry and learn how the industry can become more aware and considerate.

Transgender employees in tech: Why this "progressive" industry has more work to do to achieve true gender inclusivity

The Additional Reads