When Steve Becomes Stephanie

Due to the nature of the conversation, Steve will be referred to by the gender-neutral pronoun “they”. As seen within the article Steve, who becomes Stephanie, faces many challenges throughout their transition from biological male to transgender female. Many of these challenges are immersed in social, legal, and moral issues, most of which stem from working in a conservative company with little to no procedures in place. By addressing the ethical implications of these areas and finding a common middle ground, LGBTQ employees like Steve can find comfort within their workplace.

Firstly, it is paramount that the company through which Steve is employed (in this case “CatalCon”), needs to have a long-standing policy about discrimination laws as “ethically charged decisions are a part of everyday life for those who work in organizations at all levels” and have been proven to be just as important to the success of a business as any of its other facets (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2019, p. 3). The impacts of these decisions can be life-changing for the employees they effect as basic rights can greatly change how they face the day as a whole. For someone within the LBGTQ community, this includes everything from the right to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity as well as the eventual inclusion of benefits for same-sex partners (Githens & Aragon, 2009). Transgender employees who face issues with restroom accessibility can face many issues including mental distress and social anxiety. In fact, according to the American Medical Association (2019), they are also more likely to contract urinary tract infections (UTIs) as many choose to avoid restrooms altogether than risk confrontation with others. By providing an accommodating atmosphere for transgender employees, they are able to be the best that they can be in a world that tells them otherwise.

In regards to social issues, there are many ways in which a company can show its support; more than anything, it is important to promote inclusivity. One of these methods is that of LGBTQ employee groups, large settings in which members of the LGBTQ community can come together to provide emotional support as well as bring awareness to social and political issues surrounding their rights. However, like many other employee groups, they will have to justify their formations by demonstrating their competitive advantage or their ability to improve the effectiveness of the organization by balancing their agenda with their contribution (Githens & Aragon, 2009). In the case of Steve, it appears they are the only one going through this issue. However, on a company-wide scale, it is unlikely that they are the only one going through this situation. Steve appears to have the personality necessary to spearhead the formation of an employee group such as this and, through the help of Henrietta, may be able to bring more awareness to the company and its clients nationwide.

In regards to legal issues, it is important for Steve to know their rights within the state they live in as gender discrimination laws vary from state to state. In this case, Henrietta notes that Illinois law protects individuals like Steve from gender discrimination within the workplace. By understanding the laws involved and their basic human rights, transgender individuals can hold their companies to a higher standard as they legally have to comply with state policies (Gary & Elliott, 2008). Besides the implementation of policies as stated above, this also includes mediation of disagreements between both transgender and cisgender employees through reeducation. Many options include promoting proper conversation through gender sensitivity training. In order to do this successfully, companies must be willing to take the necessary steps to provide a neutral and accommodating atmosphere for their employees, especially when they do not always see eye-to-eye (i.e. Steve and Alex) (Gary & Elliott, 2008).

Lastly, within the issue of LGBTQ rights, the area of morality is a grey one as it is steeped within a combination of religions and political ideologies. According to the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics (2016), transgender rights and their roots stem from basic human rights which every American is entitled to, whether trans or cisgender. There has been a substantially more positive response to arguments grounded in this line of logic than the “born this way” argument as the latter relies mostly on unproven theories and flawed logic (Powell, Shapiro, & Stein, 2016). In order for marginalized transgender individuals like Steve to receive a full extension of the rights granted to their peers, they must rely on “the concept of inalienable human rights, including the rights to live safely, freely, and without fear of discrimination” (Powell et al., 2016, para. 12). By doing so, instead of “separate but equal”, transgender individuals can be seen as truly equal.

In conclusion, Steve’s transition to Stephanie involves more than that as their friends, family, and coworkers must learn to transition with them. It seems that, at the heart of everything, open and honest communication is the most effective and safe way of promoting positive change within CatalCon. Henrietta, along with other members of Human Resources, must be open and willing to reeducate themselves and others in order to begin properly implementing new policies and procedures. Matters such as these have to be addressed through social, legal, and moral parameters that keep the employee’s health, comfort, and best interests at heart. By doing so, employees like Steve (or rather Stephanie) can remain a viable asset to the company who can then, in turn, be a positive influence on how others may perceive transgender people as a whole.

References

American Medical Association. (2019). Transgender individuals’ access to public facilities. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2019-03/transgender-public-facilities-talking-points.pdf.

Ferrell. O.C., Fraedrich, J. & Ferrell, L. (2019). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage ISBN 9781337614436.

Gary, L., & Elliott, B. (2008). When Steve becomes Stephanie. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2008/12/when-steve-becomes-stephanie-2.

Githens, R. P., & Aragon, S. R. (2009). LGBT employee groups: Goals and organizational structures. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(1), 121-135. doi:10.1177/1523422308329200

Powell, T., Shapiro, S., & Stein, E. (2016). Transgender rights as human rights. AMA Journal of Ethics. doi: 10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.11.pfor3-1611