By Ivy Gibson-Hill, Campaign for Southern Equality’s LGBT Rights Toolkit Coordinator
At 9:00 last Saturday morning, I looked around the fellowship hall at the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, took a deep breath, looked at my co-worker HP, and said “I think we’re ready.” We were ready for Upstate South Carolina’s first ever Transgender Employment Clinic. As the room began to fill with people, the trans queer magic hung thick in the air along with the smell of toasted bagels and strawberry cream cheese.
The first session was all about writing your best CV or resume. Caroline Caldwell has a gift that is hard to describe. She, as a cis person, set a room full of anxious transgender and gender nonconforming folks at ease from the moment she opened her mouth. She didn’t just set the tone for the clinic though; everyone who was present, from seasoned professionals to folks who were just entering the job force, left this session with practical skills they could apply to their lives.
The next session covered navigating presentation anxiety in the workplace. From talking about the way we dress to discussing what name to write on job applications, this session was facilitated by amazing local trans leaders. It made my heart happy to see my family receiving the support they so desperately needed from their peers.
Before we knew it, it was time for lunch. I looked around and saw people sitting with folks who had the careers they wanted, and I saw folks encouraging people who wanted to be where they were. I knew that powerful things were happening when I saw the looks on their faces. Some folks, presumably for the first time, had living evidence sitting across the table from them that being trans and pursuing the career of your dreams do not have to be mutually exclusive. Through the laughter I heard people sharing their experiences and strength, but above all, hope. We were employable. We were trans. It was possible.
The nugget of brilliance that continues to resonate with me from our session on improving soft skills for gaining and maintaining employment came from Caroline again. She said, “Your attitude, not aptitude, will determine your altitude.” She was speaking to the power each of us – regardless of our position, path, or goals – has when we are able to reframe our situation, and how much we could all benefit from that ability.
Then, folks had the opportunity to sit down in one on one mock interviews with amazing people like Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Lindsey Simerly, Jaime Fivecoat, Caroline Caldwell, Hannah McSherry, and Felicia Blow to get feedback about how to implement the skills they already had and those learned that day. I think there is power in immediately putting motion behind the things we talk about, and that was evident by what happened next.
We rounded out the day with a trans-friendly job fair and resource bank. Folks were able to take the skills they learned about, and practiced, and immediately go sit down with a trans-friendly employer to talk about job opportunities. We also recognized that while these are incredibly valuable skills and opportunities, knowing how to write an awesome resume doesn’t change the fact that you don’t know where your next meal is going to come from. That’s why we paired the job fair with the resource bank that gave folks access to the immediate stop-gap services they need as well.
In addition, all day my incredible wife had been encouraging folks to fill out applications for the Job Readiness Fund that CSE was sponsoring for attendees. Folks were able to apply for assistance for things they needed like new binders, clothes for interviews, make-up, certification for the career path they were pursuing, bus passes for transportation, and more.
Days later, as I reflect, I’m still overwhelmed by the magic that took place at the Transgender Employment Clinic last Saturday. I can’t help but recap a few of the very tangible things that happened:
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Trans folks from North and South Carolina and Tennessee were served;
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35+ people attended;
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12 employers and organizations were represented in the job fair and resource bank;
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10+ trans people are receiving funds from the Job Readiness Fund;
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8 people were connected with assistance programs they were eligible for like SNAP;
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3 unemployed people left with a job;
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Many more left with an interview or connections to get an interview;
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My heart was – and is – full.
