Dylan's Transition Blog: Transition at work– looking back

TRANSITION AT WORK Deciding to transition is a monumental decision in anyone’s life. Deciding to do it while remaining at the same job, is an even great challenge for some. Fortunately for me, I work with a great company and great people and my reception and transition on the job was met with comfort, support and encouragement. I wanted to share my story with everyone so that the good stories could be balaned in with the horror ones I found. It’s sad, but when I researched fellow FTM’s that had gone down the same path as myself, many of them had not kept the same job they had when prior to transitioning. Others took some time off from work and re-entered the work force as their male selves — starting over and only telling a few select people– HR/upper management about their past so the resume and references all matched up. A few people were fortunate enough to work in great places that except them, but they seemed to be working at trans oriented places like health centers or gay/lesbian youth centers. I also spoke to some people at the FTM alliance and again– mixed reviews on the transition at work process. I’m a pretty outgoing, confrontational person (for better or worse) and I decided that I was going to face my fears and reservations. I did not want to leave the job I was at because it was a great opportunity at a premiere post production house in LA. But at the same time, I could not delay my need to transition. I decided to come out as transgendered at work, but had no idea where to start. My first resource after talking with friends and members in the community were handouts and pamphlets created by TLC and the HRC on transitioning at work. I read those over to know my rights and how to best go about this. Luckily for me, I work in one of the few states– California– in which it is illegal to discriminate based on gender idenitity. This was a big confidence builder in knowing that no matter what, I could not be fired because of my decision to transition or come out as transgendered. Read More: