Five steps towards being a trans ally

We encourage everyone to explore resources about being a proactive ally to trans people in their personal and professional lives. This Transgender Awareness Week, the EDGE (Equity and Diversity for all Genders in Ecology) Network would like to outline several actions allies can take to support transgender ecologists in the workplace.

1. Respect and normalise pronouns

Encouraging everyone to include pronouns in emails, on conference name badges, etc. normalises sharing pronouns, and demonstrates the understanding that gender can’t be inferred just by looking at someone; this creates a more inclusive environment for trans people. It is always better to ask someone’s pronouns than to assume them, and respect the pronouns people use.

2. Have and enforce clear EDI policies to support transgender people

This may seem like an obvious point, but the existence of transgender equality policies doesn’t always mean that they are enforced. Having clear policies supporting transgender equality is crucial, as is having accessible reporting channels in case these policies are breached.

While it is important to have formal reporting options, these can come with several barriers such as fear of retaliation; having informal reporting options can remove some of these barriers and provide alternate ways to report transphobic acts in the institution. For example: having a way to report incidents anonymously without pursuing an investigation, having cross-department EDI networks so that incidents can be reported to a neutral contact not involved in the department where the incident took place, etc., and then making sure people are aware of these options.

Another action that can be taken is periodically re-evaluating and updating policies to make sure they are thorough and use inclusive language. For example, ensuring that personal information forms have inclusive prefix (e.g. ‘Mx.’) and pronoun (e.g. ‘they/them’) options.

3. Be a proactive ally

Even if you are not aware of any transgender people in your workplace, being a proactive ally means supporting transgender equality whether or not trans people are in the room. This also includes actively seeking out and using resources for those who want to learn more about how to be a supportive ally, rather than putting the burden on trans people to educate and inform others on this topic.

Being a proactive ally also means cisgender people (those who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth) using their privilege to advocate for and support trans people. Making it clear that transphobia is not tolerated in the institution can potentially prevent harmful instances of transphobia in the future.

4. Respect people’s identities and be open to being corrected

Supporting trans people also means respecting their identity and using the name and pronouns they specify. No one knows a person’s identity better than they do, so respect what they say and use their correct name and pronouns. However, if you do accidentally misgender or deadname a trans person, the best thing to do is apologise and correct yourself, then move on.

Respecting trans people’s identities also means refraining from asking invasive questions; trans people are often asked personal and violating questions about their name, body, and personal life, which can contribute to an unsafe and uncomfortable working environment. Trans people may disclose such information if they feel comfortable doing so, but it is not appropriate to ask questions such as “what is your ‘real’ name?” or “so have you had/are you going to have surgery?”. Trans people do not owe anyone explanations about their identity.

5. Listen to and believe trans people

Trans people may face many obstacles in their personal and professional lives, and too often their experiences are invalidated or ignored altogether. If a trans person says something is transphobic, believe them. Trans people may endure daily microaggressions about their gender identity, which can have a negative cumulative effect on their wellbeing. Ignoring trans voices not only invalidates their experiences, but can allow transphobia to escalate further and cause even more harm.

Everyone is welcome in ecology

We hope that this will serve as a starting point for all of us to continue learning about how to best support transgender ecologists. As a non-binary PhD student who has faced a great deal of transphobia and harassment in an institutional setting and almost left the field because of it, I know how harmful transphobia can be to someone’s career and wellbeing. However, the support of allies, from strangers on social media to my PhD supervisor, has kept me going and allows me to continue working in the field I love.

The scientific community is increasingly realising that having diverse viewpoints increases production of scientific knowledge, and makes conditions better for scientists. The EDGE Network unequivocally supports equality for all genders, and we know that trans people deserve to feel safe and supported in all aspects of their work. We celebrate the trans people in this field, while recognising that there is still so much work to do to make sure everyone feels welcome in ecology.

Transgender Awareness Week runs 13-19 November and ends with Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November.