Jo’s story
Sunday 31 March is International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide.
Transgender is a term used to describe people who have a gender identity that differs from their assigned sex. ‘Trans*’ is an umbrella term for those who identify themselves as transgender.
Some people will realign their gender identity through the way they dress. Others might take hormones or undergo surgery. For many, the social transition into a new gender is a daunting process - with the fear of rejection by friends, family and colleagues a very real risk.
Jo’s story
To mark International Transgender Day of Visibility, one of our colleagues, Nottingham Fleet technician Joanna Knowles, has shared her story…
What does being Trans* mean to you? ‘It allows me to live the life I've always felt I should have lived since birth. It means being able to be happy and relaxed in my everyday life; to be myself and not live a lie.’
Why is it important that Royal Mail supports Trans* people? ‘It’s important to ensure that we can do our jobs while feeling safe. It’s important for us to know that our employer is on our side when we need them.
‘It means we can feel more relaxed and work to our best ability and not have to hide what we really are. It ensures that we’ll be treated with the dignity and respect a Trans* person deserves.’
Are you doing anything to celebrate the day? ‘No, I'm not celebrating – I’m just taking every day as it comes and being proud of what I am and what I have been able to become.’
Why are ‘allies’ important? ‘Allies can make a huge difference in supporting Trans* people as they can help to make life easier by building a comfortable and secure culture for Trans* people to live and work in.
‘It’s great to know that there are allies out there for Trans* people if they need help or support, especially for those days when a Trans* person may be feeling down, or worse, if they are ever feeling suicidal. Sadly, this is a reality for some people – there are many who are no longer with us to tell their story.
Click here to watch Jo’s story.
Supporting our Transgender colleagues
Our Trans* network is a sub-group of our LGBT+& Friends steering group. To date, the Trans* network, which was set up in 2015, has supported a number of colleagues who were struggling with transgender issues. If you have any questions about transgender issues or any other LGBT-related subject, please contact LGBT&Friends@royalmail.com.
