International Transgender Day of Visibility

International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) falls on 31 March this year. The focus of the day is to celebrate transgender people and to encourage awareness and visibility of transgender identities. It is a day of positivity at a time when some narratives around being transgender can focus on hardship and struggle. It is an opportunity to platform role models and those who are openly transgender, and to celebrate trans joy together as a community.

TDOV holds a lot of meaning to me personally. It makes me feel hopeful, it gives me a sense of community, and it reminds me that there are many trans people who are thriving, happy, and successful whilst being openly transgender. In this way it gives me the courage to thrive as my authentic self. I am also aware of the impact that visibility has on those around me, giving them an understanding of what it is like to be trans, and allowing us to connect.

According to the Office for National Statistics, around 0.5% of the population identifies as transgender (although some doubts have been raised about the clarity of the question). Hearteningly, an SRA survey in 2023 found that the same percentage, 0.5%, of solicitors identified as transgender.  However, this is not universally the case – a Bar Standards Board survey in 2024 showed the proportion at the bar to be 0.2%. In the 2024 Resolution diversity survey, there were zero transgender respondents, down from 0.13% in the 2019 survey. Whilst these numbers may be accurate, it is also possible that there are some people who feel that they are not able to respond in line with their identity, or that there are people who are discouraged from, or leave, careers in the law due to their perception of how this would intersect with their identity as a trans person. Greater visibility could help to encourage more trans people to enter the profession, or to be openly trans in their workplaces.

Being trans can be an isolating experience, and the legal profession can sometimes seem complex, traditional, or not openly accepting of trans identity. One of the most important consequences of visibility is how it can give people the confidence to come out and share their identity, especially in the workplace. The burden of separating your personal and professional life if you are not able to come out as transgender at work can be crushing.

To have visibility in the workplace and in the profession is so important as it can make such a significant difference in the way that transgender people feel about being themselves at work. A role model, or simply knowing that there is someone who shares your experience, can make it a lot easier when you are struggling with your identity, and can help with perceptions of an unaccepting and traditional profession.

Visibility can also be helped by support from outside the transgender community. In the workplace, there are steps that can be pre-emptively taken to encourage trans visibility. It can be challenging for someone to come out at work in an environment where they don’t know if they will be supported. To pre-empt this, there are steps that firms, organisations and networks can take to demonstrate that they are trans-inclusive. Polices can be adopted about pronouns, gender identity, and transition at work, and EDI policies should make clear that the organisation will cultivate a supportive environment for trans people. A firm with a strong EDI commitment is likely to already have an environment where staff are educated on LGBT+ issues, including gender identity and transition. This means that individuals are able to see that their workplace will be accepting of them and they are then more likely to feel able to disclose that they are transgender.

Firms and organisations can also send an important message of inclusion by celebrating TDOV – whether through events, discussions or simply marking the day with a social media post or internal message.

The Law Society and SRA have produced some helpful resources for firms. The SRA’s Good practice for law firms on creating a trans inclusive workplace includes a helpful guide to terminology and suggests that firms clearly set out their commitment to inclusion of all trans and non-binary people. The Law Society’s Transition and change to gender expression template is aimed at helping employers supporting staff who are transitioning. Both can easily be found online.

The Law Society’s guide Using pronouns in the workplace highlights that you can’t always tell someone’s pronouns based on their name or appearance; that everyone should have their chosen name and pronouns respected in the workplace; and that some people use gender expansive pronouns such as “they, them and theirs” instead of, or as well as, “he, him and his” or “she, her and hers”. Additionally, the Law Society’s “D&Ictionary” gives advice on many EDI topics, including gender-inclusive language. This is useful both when speaking to a large group which may include non-binary people, as well as when speaking to an individual whose pronouns you do not know. Simply taking the step of implementing these policies or providing these resources in the workplace could make a significant difference to trans employees.

In a Law Society survey of LGBT+ legal professionals it was found that the most important actions that allies can take in the workplace are to challenge discriminatory behaviour, to educate themselves on LGBT+ issues, and to visibly demonstrate support. These actions are all applicable in the context of helping to encourage trans visibility. As the Law Society pronouns guidance says: “Do not be afraid of making mistakes: they are inevitable, but be aware of them, learn from them and, most importantly, keep trying.”

It is a difficult time to be transgender. Being openly trans can feel like a risk, and it can be hard to see some of the discussions and hatred that take place online, in the courts and in the newspapers. On Transgender Day of Visibility this year, I hope that we can focus for a time on the strength and vibrancy of the trans community, and remember that behind the public discussions are real people simply trying to live their lives. I invite everyone to consider what steps can be taken in the workplace to help to support trans people and create an inclusive environment, and ensure that everyone is able to be visible as themselves.

[email protected]