TJobBank

Hello,
I’ve been noticeably absent from this blog lately, mainly because of my own employment issues and the lack of anything good to report. By all reports, unemployment is reaching 10% in the U.S. in August. I wish I could say that I was surprised that we will be seeing double-digit unemployment this year. Transgender unemployment is in an unrecognized emergency status. I don’t plan on updating this blog for some time in the future. Happily I have found employment and hope to take care of some personal matters that require much of my time but I will make updates when possible. Thanks to those who have donated to the site. Please be assured that your donations are being used wisely and frugally to help find work for transgender workers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the number of unemployed people rose by 563,000 in April.  To put those number in perspective, that’s over a half a million MORE people unemployed than the month before.  Unbelieveably, these kind of numbers are becoming the ‘norm.’  The United States unemployment rate for April 2009 rose to 8.9%.  In some states, it’s already in double digits.

At the current rate, if these numbers don’t improve, there is the real danger that unemployment will reach a ’saturation point’ where there will no longer be enough consumers to drive the US economy.  When that happens, the standard of living will plummet to third-world status.  Homelessness will be commonplace and the crime rate will rise to unprecedented levels.

In cities where the unemployment rate is in double digits, those predictions are already a reality.

All of this is due to the greed of a few rich men, the corruption of the political system and the apathy of the population.  It’s the result of what should be considered treasonous activities and those responsible will never be brought to justice.  In fact, they’re rewarded.

How I would love to say that I’m proud to be an American again.  But I’m not.  I’m embarrassed at what we’ve become.

Sheep.

Yes, that’s the way I’ve been feeling lately.

Here’s why . . . I’ve reached out to many advocacy organizations and employers since the launch of the Transgender Job Bank. I’ve gotten some haughty promises of support and assistance over that time to help me get the corporate world to utilize TJobBank as the valuable resource that it is. I’ve spoken to corporate HR people and owners of businesses. I’ve contacted the so-called 100% inclusive corporations listed in HRC’s Corporate Index. I’ve had meetings with business leadership in the LBGT community.

After all of this, I’ve seen very little progress and while at the same time seeing lots of despair from transgender candidates who won’t be hired for jobs that they are qualified for because of their gender-identity. It breaks my heart to to read the mail that I receive from those who have lost their jobs due to discriminatory practices or are unable to find a job because of it, especially when there is a resource available that has the potential to put an end to the transgender unemployment problem.

It’s bad enough that many transgender people have lost family and friends, but to take away their ability to support themselves can be unbearable. Lack of employment also makes it impossible to pay for medically necessary procedures and can lead to extreme depression and even suicide.

For those affected, this is a national emergency and for some, the emergency has reached the saturation point.

Yet, I’m told by those that I’ve reached out to that they’ll ‘get back to me’ or they promise to take other action that never materializes.

It’s well past the time for action. Passage of a trans-inclusive ENDA will be a step in the right direction, but don’t be deceived into thinking that it will make a difference in the near term.

So . . . I’m considering quitting . . . giving up the fight . . . letting someone else take up the cause.

My own personal struggle is hard enough without trying to take on worldwide trans-unemployment single-handedly.

In the coming days I’ll be doing some serious introspection and will make a decision to go forward with this cause or to stop.

I think it’s important that people realize that the HRC has changed their policy towards transgender inclusion in ENDA more than once. I was reading a blog posting by Vanessa Edwards today that kind of explains how things transpired.

Read it HERE

Transgender Equality

A couple of quick comments today.  I had an interview yesterday for a job.  On the application there was a question “Have you ever had your name changed, and why?”  Being a transsexual, I chose to leave that field blank.  I feel that it’s none of their business and can only affect my chances of getting the job in a bad way.  When I was interviewed, it was one of the first questions that they asked.  I had no choice but to answer.  To me, the entire interview process went downhill from that point forward.  

These are the types of situations that I’ve been dealing with since I started looking for work.  It’s not right, and it only exemplifies the NEED for a service like TJobBank.

Don’t tell me that I have a ‘victim’ mentality.  I am a realist.  It’s NOT a level playing field.   Trans-people are the lowest of the low on the list of candidates, simply because of who they are.  That’s a fact.

I’ve actually had a transwoman of color tell me that blacks have it worse than trans people.  She should know better.

When presented with a minority candidate other than trans, and a trans candidate, who do you think they are going to hire?  Let’s not fool ourselves here.  We ARE victims when it comes to employment and I’m disgusted by daily.

Being a Male to Female (MTF) transsexual only makes things worse.  Women already have to be twice as good as men to be considered equal in the workplace.  If they are a woman AND a member of an ethnic minority AND transsexual, how many times better do they need to be?  Is it any wonder that we have so many unemployed trans people?

UPDATE: Believe it or not, I got a call from the company that I interviewed with yesterday. I GOT THE JOB. I’m really, really happy and excited. I go to work on Monday morning!

Something else I would like to mention is this article about Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Michigan dropping Transgender Health Care from their coverage.  This should make EVERYONE outraged.  What is their reasoning?  The American Medical Association has come out publicly stating that our care is MEDICALLY NECESSARY.   When insurance companies start playing ‘doctor’ for discriminatory reasons, it sets a very dangerous precedent.  Please write to Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Michigan and let them know what  you think of their discriminatory practices. . .

BCBS Excludes Necessary Transgender Surgery

Yesterday was a terrible day for me.  I had bought around $1200 in stock last year when I had a job.  I bought Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which are the federally backed mortgage lenders who hold about 70% of all mortgages in the US.  I also bought Ford and GM.  The reason I did this was because their stock had plummeted and I found that I could actually buy some at those low prices.

Well, yesterday they ALL went up.  Not a little, but a LOT.  Instead of being $900 in the hole, as I have been for a long time, all of a sudden I found that I was around $200 ahead if I sold my stock.  I immediately went to Sharebuilder (ING Direct) where my account is, to sell, sell, sell.  Guess what?  Everyone must have been doing the same thing because their site didn’t work.  Their phones didn’t work.  There was nothing that I could do but watch my stock prices plummet once again putting me further and further in the hole again. This is not the first time this has happened.  I filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The reason I mention this is because I am unemployed.  I have been unemployed since January when i moved to Arizona.  I get up in the morning and search for and apply for jobs all day.  I’ve only had a few interviews and in my opinion, I was passed over EITHER because I’m transgender or because I’m a woman or both.

So how do I know?  I can’t prove anything, except that I know how it was before I transtitioned.   I had absolutely no problem getting a job.  My resume is impeccable.  I have more experience than almost anyone in my chosen field (Tech Support).  I was a Level II Tech and Team Lead at IBM for 9 years and have simply great references.

I’ve had two interviews for entry level positions and neither of the men that I interviewed with, would look me in the eye. That’s always my first clue.  Then they rush the interview.  I’m getting pretty good at recognizing when they’ve climbed aboard the discrimination train.   One of them asked about my web development experience and for any URLs of sites that I’ve created.  I gave him TJobBank’s.

Of course, I was passed over.  When my recruiter asked why I was passed over he said that the reason I didn’t get the job was ‘lack of experience.’

Couldn’t they make something up better than that?  Bad breath . . .  Lack of deodorant?   Personality?

It’s a slap in the face.

Many tech people are homophobic and transphobic.  It’s a testosterone laden business.

Women are rarely hired.  Smart woman = bitch.  That’s the mentality.

In any case, I’ve spent all of my savings.  I’ve paid child support every month since before my divorce without ever missing a payment.  Now I have one more payment that I can send.  After that, my daughter will be on her own.

SO - The money that I would have gotten from selling my shares of stock would have gotten me by for another month.  It would have made it possible for one more support payment.  But I was screwed again by inept management of an online service involving millions of dollars that can’t handle heavy volume.

I get so frustrated sometimes.  My self-esteem has hit bottom.  Sometimes I wonder if I’m helping people or just giving false hope and in the case of today’s post, being overly pessimistic.  Where is corporate America?  They’ve been invited to give us jobs.  I know, because I personally invited them.  But they haven’t.  Corporate America has shown they are mostly despicable liars and blatantly unfair to transgender people.

So what’s the good news for trans people when it comes to the workplace today?  From my point of view there is none.

If you have a job, be thankful.  But remember that your value is AT LEAST the same as any other employee.  Don’t let your employers step on you during these economic times.  Trans people are the first to be fired.  Be wary and ‘don’t take no shit.’

Remember.  To them, we’re not even the ‘bottom of the barrel.’  We are the stuff stuck to the underside of the bottom of the barrel that goes totally unnoticed.

How can we expect strangers to accept us in the workplace when our own families won’t accept our right to exist?

Today is also my oldest brother’s funeral.

I won’t be there.

TJobBank is calling upon all inclusive employers to post employment opportunities for transgender individuals in our home state of Arizona.  The Transgender Job Bank will be focusing on this area for the next several months in an effort to raise awareness of the need for employment opportunities for transgender people especially in service related industries in the state of Arizona.

HRC has come out with their new ‘3.0′ Criteria for the HRC Corporate Equality Index.

Starting at Page 20 you will see some additions that will affect transgender people and health insurance benefits.  I’ve also been told by Meghan Stabler who is on the small team that is working on this project that the insurance piece will be VALIDATED.

If that truly does happen, it is a big deal and a step ahead.

The downside is that I suspect that the number of companies willing to comply will diminish somewhat considering the new criteria, however this is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for HRC to keep any semblance of credibility with their Corporate Index.

It costs a company very little to include transgender people in their health care plans and there are so few transgender employees that it shouldn’t even be an issue to most.

The other criteria for a company’s inclusion in the CEI is still not validated and no plans are being made to do so,  I’m told - due to a lack of ‘enforcement funding.’ **

That is unfortunate, and is the only thing that continues to make the integrity of the CEI - questionable into 2011 when this new criteria will go into effect.

Not to rain on the HRC parade.  When they do something right, I’m willing to give kudos when deserved.

Kudos to Meghan Stabler and her team.  Now to make it happen.

** (UPDATE: See Meghan’s response in comments.  From what I understand, if prospective employers are not meeting the criteria set out in the CEI, a notification process will be made available on the HRC site for feedback on non-compliance.  It’s also important to note that there is a difference in scope between HRC as a whole and the HRC Workplace Project.)