Working with a Transsexual: A Guide for Coworkers - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Janis Walworth, MS, is a consultant with the Center for Gender Sanity, an organization devoted to increasing understanding of transgender issues. Janis and her partner consult with management and human resources departments and provide training on transgender issues for employee assistance professionals, transsexuals' coworkers, agency workers who deal with transgendered clients, therapists, and gay and lesbian groups. Janis also assists transsexuals who are transitioning on the job.

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Meet Brenda...

She's successful in her job as an editor at the small midwestern publishing company where she has worked for seven years. Shes well-liked by her coworkers. And last week, she was Brian. Brenda is a transsexual, and she, like many others, is changing her sex while remaining on her job.

Corporations, government agencies, and small businesses across America are discovering that transsexual workers can remain productive while they make this major life transition. They may even become less stressed, more focused, and better team members.

People are often taken by surprise when they are told that one of their coworkers is planning to change sex. How would you react? Would you have difficulty understanding why this was necessary? Would you have questions about how to interact with a transsexual man or woman? Would you have fears about how a transsexual coworker might behave? Would you have a hard time sharing your workspace with a transsexual? Would you want to know how you could be supportive?

This book answers those questions and many more. In it, Brenda tells about her life as Brian and what compelled her to change her sex. A psychologist and a transsexual man talk to Brendas coworkers and answer their questions. And a picture section introduces you to real transsexual men and women.

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From Chapter 2:

I'm a female-to-male transsexual. I started out life as a girl but never felt much like one. Life was confusing for me as I grew up, although I heard about male-to-female transsexuals like Christine Jorgenson and Renee Richards and wondered if it was possible for me to become a man. When I was in high school, I joined a gay and lesbian youth group because I was attracted to girls and women. I soon realized, however, that my feelings about myself were quite different from those of most lesbians -- they seemed content to be women, while this bothered me a lot.

I went to college in a city that had a good transgender support group, so I had access to a lot of information about transsexualism, and it became clear that I was a transsexual. I went to a psychotherapist so I could get approval for taking testosterone, and Ive been taking it for five years now. I had my breasts removed, which made it much easier to appear as a man, especially in the summer. Before that I had to bind my breasts and wear a loose shirt. Later I had a hysterectomy, mainly because I had painful fibroids. I havent had any other surgery, and Im not sure if I ever will. Im quite happy with my body the way it is now.

I transitioned on my job as a child psychologist five years ago. Much of my work is in the school system, so I made the change in my appearance during summer vacation. Many of the kids I saw the next fall didnt recognize me. For the clients I saw throughout the summer, I talked to the children and their parents about my impending transition and offered them a choice of switching to another therapist at the agency where I work or continuing to see me. Some left and some stayed. There were a few students and parents who objected to my counseling in the schools, but the school administration handled that on a case-by-case basis, and I dont think it has interfered with my effectiveness.

My family has been great. My mother was devastated at first. She was still hoping I would grow out of my tomboy phase, and she finally had to admit that it wasnt going to happen. Now she thinks Im handsome and shows me off as her son. I always had a close relationship with my dad and still do -- hes been very supportive. My two sisters are okay with my transition, although I dont see them much -- they both live far away. For two years Ive been dating a wonderful woman, and were planning to get married next year.