A friend recently sent me a
news article entitled “Why Aren’t Women Advancing At Work? Ask a Transgender
Person,” written by Jessica Nordell and published on New Republic. The unique and enlightening experiences of a small
minority really gave me pause. While sexism and inequality in the workplace has
been a recurring and often contentious point of discussion, some attention has
been given to the lived experiences of transgender individuals, particularly
those who transitioned from female to male. Interviews conducted with a number
of transgender individuals shed light on these work place experiences that many
deem sexist.
Qualities unappreciated as a
woman (e.g. assertiveness, ambition, etc) were highly valued in a man. What was
once considered aggressive was now a wonderful “making-things-happen” attitude
towards work. One transgender man explained that someone unfamiliar with his
story, with whom he was speaking, informed him that his sister’s presentation
was dull, but his was light-years better. His “sister” was actually him, prior
to his gender change. What struck me is that a transgender individual’s
experience is much like an experimental study in that confounding variables,
such as differences in personality traits, values, skill sets, and abilities
are removed from the equation. Not only were the studied transgender
individuals perceived and valued differently by their colleagues and employers,
but they were also treated differently. Another man recalled his prior female
self being interrupted frequently by others during meetings, and his questions
were frequently considered to indicate a lack of expertise rather than an
educated attempt at dialogue. As a man, he noticed a distinct change. Now, he was
being taken seriously and treated with respect- without interruption or
skepticism. He was now someone worth listening to. He explained, “Men are assumed to be competent until
proven otherwise, whereas a woman is assumed to be incompetent until she proves
otherwise.”
As displayed in research that
identifies gender differences, men and women frequently have different means on
a bell curve. We can frequently conclude that cis men and cis women differ in certain
ways (in physical strength, norms on objective personality measures, etc)
because of these differences in means. It doesn’t bother me to say this.
However, this reality does not account for variant treatment in social settings
that have little to do with these mean differences. There is a definite, undeniable problem when characteristics that are
considered qualities in one gender are devalued in the other. It’s a
problem that one gender has something to prove when the other does not. I truly
believe that our society is quick to forget that men and women share countless
qualities that are appropriate and suitable in an array of social settings.
To see full article: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119239/transgender-people-can-explain-why-women-dont-advance-work
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