By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - It's the first Pride Month after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that President Donald Trump can ban transgender people from serving in the military. Advocates for the group are taking the opportunity to shed light on that and other forms of workplace discrimination. Comments from Martha Gomez, director of workforce development, the nonprofit Trans Can Work.
Click on the image above for the audio. According to a 2024 survey, 82% of American transgender employees reported experiencing discrimination or harassment at work. (Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
June 5, 2025 - June is Pride Month, and transgender advocates are speaking out, seeking equal recognition in society and in the workplace. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that President Donald Trump can enforce a ban on transgender people in the military, while litigation proceeds.
Martha Gomez, director of workforce development with the nonprofit Trans Can Work, said the attacks on transgender people ultimately hurt society as a whole.
"Of course, transgender are at the forefront of a lot of those cuts and those attacks," she explained. "But the truth is that these DEI cuts, they hurt all of us as a nation to not have opinions outside of just one."
The armed forces are also changing the names of transgender members of the military back to their names at birth. Trans Can Work encourages all employers to consider the harm of deadnaming people, and to make sure health-care policy and legal paperwork is inclusive. They offer job training and re-entry services in order to fight higher unemployment rates among transgender groups - which range from 9% to 16%, which is much higher than the national rate of 4.2%.
Gomez would like employers to make sure employee compensation is fair and based entirely on a job well done, without regard to gender identity.
"Compared to a white cis man, gay or lesbian women tend to make about 89 cents of that dollar. Transgender people make about 69 cents, and black transgender women only make 43 cents of that dollar," she continued.
Transgender, gender-diverse and intersex individuals continue to face high rates of economic insecurity, job discrimination and barriers to stable employment.
| Best Practices | References |
