PRIDE Month 2022: BEIS Gender Identity Policy

In February BEIS launched its Gender Identity policy. The policy package aims to provide managers and employees with the tools to create and maintain a culture of diversity and inclusivity regardless of how a person identifies.  

The policy package supports inclusion of people who are transgender, non-binary and intersex, recognises the particular needs of these individuals and helps allow them to bring their whole selves to work. It includes a guide for those who may be the colleague of someone who is transitioning, a toolkit for managers to best support their employees and tools for all BEIS employees to create and maintain a culture of diversity and inclusivity regardless of how a person identifies 

The launch of the Gender Identity Policy left me with the opportunity to recount my own experiences. My first reflection is on how much has changed since I first stepped out as Kim on a warm spring day in 1998, even down to the language that we now use, and that my experiences are indeed history. 

At that time the concept of transgender was itself binary. An individual was either going from male to female or from female to male. There was little concept of gender fluidity or non-binary. That is not to say that non-binary people did not exist, but that they were less visible, as the social norm with which one sought to conform only allowed a binary choice. 

This was also a time before there was much by way of legal protection, the Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999, the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2010 were all for the future. In some organisations discrimination was rife and in a few it was even illegal to be LGBT. So, coming out as transgender and transitioning was not without its risks. 

The other thing that has changed is the availability of information on all the ins and outs of transitioning. The internet has exploded this, as have support organisations, providing information for individuals, their families, as well as employers. Back in 1998 information was really only available through email groups you could subscribe to and followed the latest recommendations on psychiatrists and surgeons. These spilled over into physical meet ups of travellers on the same journey. 

In many ways I was extremely lucky and the two brothers who owned the company where I worked could not have been more supportive. As the good leaders that they were, this set the tone for the whole office. In the absence of workplace guidance, they both made the effort to educate themselves, speaking to people in their network of directors who had experience of staff who had transitioned. They also did their own research, by watching some of the few documentaries available. 

At that time, the recommendation was to try living a week in my new role, before making a final decision on changing name and identity, and then going full time. The atmosphere created by the two brothers was very supportive. I was even approached by a colleague from another office, who told me about how he managed his feelings of gender fluidity. They also eased the way with the company's bankers and suppliers, within whom I had regular contact, so that when I did change role everything was in place. It is only in hindsight that I have realised how important their support was to the successful completion of what was called the ‘real life’ test. They even came to visit me in hospital when I was recovering after the 'big day'.  

BEIS has always been supportive of me and allowed me to develop my career to the full.  I am deeply grateful for the way the organisation and leadership have embraced me as a mother to my young daughter and helped me with all the challenges that motherhood brings. I have no doubt that those embarking on today’s journey with gender identity will still find the many twists and turns and the highs and lows, but I hope that with the publication of the new BEIS policy, it will be better informed providing support when needed.