Trans Can Work, an organization formed to help transgender people find employment and help employers understand and relate to the transgender community, is offering a series of workshops for West Hollywood businesses beginning March 5.
The workshops are sponsored by the City of West Hollywood, the L.A. LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. They are part of a nationwide effort by Trans Can Work to raise awareness of transgender people by employers and coach transgender people seeking employment.
The March 5 workshop, which will take place at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers from noon to 2 p.m., will be led by Drian Juarez, who heads training and education for TCW. “To ensure the highest quality educational experience, TCW utilizes a combination of engagement, story-telling, and presentation when discussing complicated subject matter,” says an announcement of the workshop.
The workshop, and others scheduled for May 21, July 30, and Sept. 24, are open to any West Hollywood business. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP with an email to Drian@TransCanWork.org or call (323) 570-2237. There is no cost to attend. Parking will be available for free in the five-story structure behind the Council Chambers with a ticket validated at the workshop. The TCW program also will include 15 in-person coaching sessions with small and medium sized West Hollywood employers.
Businesses participating in the workshops can be certified as a “Welcoming Establishment” and recruit new workers through TCW’s Economic Empowerment Program.
“The landscape for LGBTQ inclusion is changing every day,” says TCW’s announcement of the workshops. “In the U.S. an estimated 1.4 million adults identify as transgender. However, when thinking about younger generations, a recent study by UCLA’s Williams Institute discovered that 6.1% of youth identify as ‘strongly gender variant’ while a total of 27% were on a gender spectrum. With the rise of gender diversity among youth, it is only a matter of time before our communities change as will our workforce.”
The City of West Hollywood has supported the transgender community in a variety of ways, including requiring in 2014 that single-stall public restrooms be made “gender neutral,” or accessible to people no matter their gender identification.m The city also has published a Transgender Resource Guide, which can be found online.
March is Transgender Visibility Month, and the city plans to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31.
