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Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling

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Workplace Aggression: Toward Social Justice and Advocacy in Counseling for Transgender Individuals
Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich & Javier Cavazos JR.
a a b

Department of Counseling , The University of Akron , Akron, Ohio, USA

b

Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology , Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi , Corpus Christi, Texas, USA Published online: 13 Dec 2010.

To cite this article: Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich & Javier Cavazos JR. (2010) Workplace Aggression: Toward Social Justice and Advocacy in Counseling for Transgender Individuals, Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 4:3-4, 187-201, DOI: 10.1080/15538605.2010.524844 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2010.524844

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Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 4:187201, 2010 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1553-8605 print / 1553-8338 online DOI: 10.1080/15538605.2010.524844

Workplace Aggression: Toward Social Justice and Advocacy in Counseling for Transgender Individuals
VARUNEE FAII SANGGANJANAVANICH
Department of Counseling, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA

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JAVIER CAVAZOS, JR.

Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Transgender individuals face various degrees of aggression, hostility, and discrimination in the workplace, including social isolations, physical threats, demotions, and terminations of employment. Professional counselors can serve as social change agents by developing specic sets of knowledge, attitudes, and skills to help this population. This article describes various forms of explicit and implicit workplace discrimination against transgender individuals. The roles of counselors in social justice and advocacy, adapted from the World Professional Association of Transgender Health Standards of Care and the Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients, are presented and discussed. KEYWORDS advocacy transgender, workplace aggression, discrimination,

Many transgender individuals face challenges in various aspects of life, including physical violence (Bess & Stabb, 2009; Xavier, Bobbin, Singer, & Budd, 2005), harassment, and employment discrimination (Broadus, 2006; Kirk & Belovics, 2008; Lombardi, Wilchins, Priesing, & Malouf, 2001). Although there is diversity within the transgender community, transgender individuals struggle with a similar issuediscrimination as a result of their gender expression or being transgender (Carroll, Gilroy, & Ryan, 2002).

Address correspondence to Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich, Department of Counseling, The University of Akron, 302 Buchtel Common, Akron, OH 44325-5007, USA. E-mail: vfs@uakron.edu 187

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Scholars have suggested that chronic exposure to aggression and violence inuence psychological and physical well-being of transgender individuals, such as somatization, depression, anxiety (Sanchez & Vilain, 2009), substance abuse, crime, and suicide (Xavier et al., 2005). Aggression toward the transgender community is limited to general activities in not only everyday life, but also in the workplace. However, Pepper and Lorah (2008) and Sangganjanavanich (2009) noted that professional counselors were not prepared to work with transgender individuals. Consequently, transgender individuals are an underserved population and are unable to access professional counseling services when needed. The American Counseling Association (ACA, 2005) stated counselors do not condone or engage in discrimination based on age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status/partnership, language preference, socioeconomic status, or any basis proscribed by law (p. 10). In other words, multicultural counseling practice is not optional for professional counselors. To meet the standards of the counseling profession and to adhere to the Code of Ethics of the ACA (2005), counselors are required to possess multicultural counseling competencies, including knowledge, attitudes, and skills to effectively work with diverse client populations (Arredondo et al., 1996). Therefore, as part of social justice and advocacy, professional counselors need to be prepared to work with historically marginalized groups, including the transgender community. We believe one of the steps toward developing such competencies is for counselors to understand issues related to workplace aggression that transgender individuals experience. Counselors can use competencies as a framework to understand their roles in advocating for the transgender population. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to enhance professional counselors understanding of workplace aggression that transgender individuals experience on a daily basis. First, we provide a review of workplace aggression experienced by transgender individuals. Second, we review laws and policies addressing workplace discrimination against the transgender population. And nally, we introduce professional counselors to their roles as social change agents in the counseling profession.

WORKPLACE AGGRESSION EXPERIENCED BY TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS

Sociopolitical issues greatly inuence transgender individuals educational opportunities, as well as their career choices, decision making, and career satisfaction. However, a majority of sexual minorities, including transgender individuals, are unable to experience career satisfaction as they face adversity and animosity in the workplace. The following section describes the

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characteristics and types of workplace aggression and provides an example of workplace aggression experienced by transgender individuals.

Workplace Aggression
Workplace aggression is dened as any act of aggression, physical assault, threatening or coercive behavior that causes physical or emotional harm in a work setting (Rai, 2002, p. 15). Workplace aggression consists of three components: (a) an actor or aggressor, (b) a target or victim, and (c) an intention or motivation to harm (Neuman & Baron, 1998). Additionally, workplace aggression involved overt (e.g., physical attacks, verbal insults) and covert (e.g., discrimination, destructive rumors) behaviors toward coworkers and/or employees (Baron, 2004; Neuman & Baron, 2005). Douglas and Martinko (2001) suggested that a majority of individuals intentionally chose covert aggressive behavior toward a target because it helped disguise the aggressive nature of the act. Dietz, Robinson, Folger, Baron, and Schultz (2003) further noted that workplace aggression caused damages to organizations in terms of decreasing productivity, increasing stress of employees, and initiating lawsuits. Particularly, Dietz et al. emphasized that workplace aggression not only created tension between aggressors and targets, but also built a collective expression of a negative working climate to the organization as a whole.

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Types of Workplace Aggression

Aggression is transposed into various forms of discrimination toward transgender individuals. Several studies (Factor & Rothblum, 2007; Simon Rosser, Oakes, Bockting, & Miner, 2007; Xavier et al., 2005) have described discrimination that transgender individuals experience in the area of health, family, education, and employment. Particularly, recent studies (e.g., ClementsNolle, Marx, & Katz, 2006; Harper & Schneider, 2003; Sangganjanavanich, 2005, 2009) have showed that sexual minorities were a target of aggression in the workplace. In this article, we propose two forms of workplace aggression toward transgender individuals: (a) work-related or explicit discrimination and (b) non-work-related or implicit discrimination. The rst form, work-related or explicit discrimination, includes demotions, refrained from promotions, terminations of employment, not considered for positions (Clements-Nolle et al., 2006; Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2008; Lombardi et al., 2001), prevented from customer contact (Chow, 2005), losing health insurance benets, salary inequity, as well as poor performance evaluation related to dress codes and self-presentation. The second form of workplace aggression toward transgender workers is non-work-related or implicit discrimination. This includes forced to change ofce location, restriction to some workplace areas (e.g., restroom),

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gossiping among coworkers, physical threats and abuse, denied leave, absences, or vacation, being physically and psychologically isolated in the workplace (Chow, 2005; Pepper & Lorah, 2008), being removed from membership of a trade union (Barclay & Scott, 2006), not being offered professional development or training opportunities, referred to undesirable gender names, as well as being undermined with regard to ones abilities in performing tasks (Sangganjanavanich, 2005). In addition to understanding the various forms of workplace aggression, special attention should be given to transgender individuals during gender transition or sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Transitioned individuals have battled numerous lingering legal dilemmas related to employment, such as discrepancies between self-presentations and legal documents, and no match results between ones driver license and social security number. This situation presents a unique challenge to transgender applicants because it can affect the decisions of employers in the hiring process. Further, during and after the transition, many transgender people are forced to choose between remaining in the same position or seeking a new position due to fear, pain, or uncertainty (Pepper & Lorah, 2008). Sangganjanavanich (2009) commented that although there were a number of benets for transgender people to leave their current employment and to start their lives with a new identity, disruptions occurred during this transition that affected their career, such as losing employment history and nancial security. In addition to legal dilemmas, the exclusion of health insurance benets complicates the life of transgender workers. The National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (2009) indicated that only 40% of transgender people (N = 6,450) reported satisfaction with employer-based insurance coverage. Further, a majority of insurance plans deny most coverage for SRS (i.e., mental health counseling, hormone replacement therapy, surgical procedures) and related medical treatment (i.e., diseases resulting from hormone replacement therapy). This limitation in health care and treatment options may generate stress and inuence the occupational performance of transgender workers.

Interlocking Systems of Oppression for Transgender People in the Workplace

It is important to note that explicit and implicit forms of discrimination can range from mild (e.g., gossiping) to severe (e.g., physical violence and threat), as well as from microlevel (e.g., individuals and groups) to macrolevel (e.g., organizations and communities). These forms of discrimination indicate unequal chances for transgender individuals to feel welcomed and supported in the workplace when compared with nontransgender employees. It is also important to mention that interlocking systems of

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oppression, where social and cultural identity interact and result in social inequality, inuence issues of education and employment of transgender people. An intersection between gender and social and cultural identity (i.e., ethnicity, social class, and disability) deepens a level of discrimination to the transgender community and widens a gap between the transgender community and other mainstream cultural groups. Moreover, Bieschke, Fassinger, Hardy, and Croteau (2008) noted that interlocking systems of oppression created limited resources, constrained experiences, resulted in biased or inaccurate information, and ultimately worsened the context of invisibility and stigmatization. For example, transgender individuals who have white-collar jobs and higher income may experience different forms and levels of discrimination or mistreatment than those who have blue-collar jobs and lower income in the workplace. Transgender people who have less education, lower income, and less prestigious careers have fewer career options when compared to their counterparts. Consequently, transgender people may continue to face discrimination from being lower-class persons and sexual minorities. Further, transgender individuals who are visible or known to be transgender employees face different challenges when compared with transgender employees who pass or their gender identity is unknown by coworkers. Schilt and Connell (2007) explored the experiences of 28 transsexuals and transgender individuals whose gender identity was known to their colleagues. Schilt and Connell revealed that these individuals engaged in negotiation of cross-gender and same-gender interactions with their coworkers and employers to explicitly dene their new gender boundaries (e.g., using restroom of their choice). For example, many transitioned women (a) may need to cope with a loss of male privilege that they used to have before gender transition and (b) may face discrimination against women in the workplace. This coping process, however, requires overcoming social stigmatization and developing discrimination management strategies (Bieschke et al., 2008). Based on previous research, many transgender employees encounter a number of workplace challenges, including harassment, employment discrimination (Broadus, 2006; Kirk & Belovics, 2008; Lombardi et al., 2001), and physical violence (Bess & Stabb, 2009; Xavier et al., 2005). Therefore, it is important that professional counselors are knowledgeable of laws that protect transgender individuals from employment discrimination.

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PROTECTIONS FROM EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

The Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Civil Rights Act, 1964) is a major act created to protect individuals rights concerning employment. Title VII of the act prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (Civil Rights Act, 1964). As a result of Title

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VII of this act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was generated to enforce Title VII by investigating and mediating employment discrimination complaints. Afrmative action is a set of public policies created to promote an equal representation of, and to protect discrimination against, historically marginalized groups, such as women and minorities in public and private settings (Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2008). Although it is obvious that women and ethnic minorities are a protected class, transgender individuals are not yet clearly classied in this class. Although there are laws and policies supporting rights of transgender individuals, these individuals still encounter discrimination on a daily basis. These laws and policies aim to protect transgender individuals from unlawful acts and unfair treatments. However, there is a lack of mechanism to support these rules and regulations. Chow (2005) viewed that though complaints and allegations are generated, the results of these allegations vary case by case due to multiple concepts based on societal, cultural, and political expectations. The case of Dobre v. National Railroad Passenger Corp. (1993) is a court case that represents a legal complexity. In this case, Dobre was employed by Amtrak as a male employee. When Dobre informed Amtrak of her decision to express her female gender identity, Dobre reported that Amtrak mistreated her by asking her to dress as a male, relocating her ofce out of public view, prohibiting her from using the womens restroom, as well as referring to her by her male name. Later, Dobre led a lawsuit against Amtrak with claims that she was discriminated against because of her new gender while in the process of transforming her body to conrm her psychological sexual identity (Dobre v. National Railroad Passenger Corp., 1993, p. 1). After a lengthy examination of this case, the court ruled Congress did not intend Title VII to protect transsexuals from discrimination on the basis of their transsexualism (Dobre v. National Railroad Passenger Corp., 1993, p. 2). In regard to Dobres case, Chow (2005) commented that the terms sex and gender were complex and needed further clarications and explorations within the legal system. Chow stated that Transsexuality is merely an extreme instance of a person whose biological sex fails to match his or her gender (p. 213). Further, Chow suggested that in addition to recognizing gender stereotypes when interpreting gender discrimination toward transgender individuals, courts should extend Title VII protection to forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation and to prohibit gender-based dress codes (p. 214). In 2007, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was introduced to and reviewed by the U.S. Congress (Human Rights Campaign, 2010b). The ENDA has been developed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity (Human Rights Campaign, 2010b). This bill,

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however, does not include small businesses (employ fewer than 15 employees), religious organizations, and military. Not long after, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (2008) reported that only 12 states and the District of Columbia prohibited employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity. As of January 2010, the Human Rights Campaign (2010a) reported that 129 cities and counties across the United States forbid employment discrimination based on gender identity. Currently, many transgender individuals choose to have protection from employment discrimination through disability laws. Although transgender individuals do not have protections through federal disability laws, some state laws appear to present some opportunities for transgender individuals to pursue legal protections. Transgender individuals can be protected under state disability antidiscrimination laws when they (a) can demonstrate a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity, (b) have a record of an impairment, or (c) are regarded as having an impairment (Levi & Klein, 2006). Although Levi and Klein (2006) noted that Today, state law provides the most fertile grounds to realize the true goals of disability antidiscrimination lawsincluding for transgender persons (p. 77), professional counselors should be aware that sociopolitical reasons may prevent some transgender individuals from pursuing employment discrimination through disability laws. Although some state laws protect transgender individuals from workplace discrimination, there is not a federal law that prohibits such discrimination. This situation reects an underlying prejudice and a lack of understanding in gender expression and transgender issues in the workplace. Thus, it is important for professional counselors to understand the complexities of this phenomenon and their roles in facilitating social justice and advocacy aspects in counseling for the transgender population.

THE ROLES OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS

The multicultural counseling competencies (MCCs; knowledge, attitudes, and skills) are a fundamental construct of our discussion. We adapt two primary resources to discuss the roles of professional counselors in helping transgender clients negotiate and address workplace aggression. These resources are the World Professional Association of Transgender Health Standards of Care (Meyer et al., 2001), formally known as the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, and the Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients (ACA, 2009). To create a new paradigm of change in counseling services for transgender clients, we expand social justice and advocacy aspects of the standards and competencies as well as offer practical strategies to assist professional counselors in dealing with workplace aggression that transgender persons face. The roles of counselors are listed below.

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First, it is important that counselors examine their personal biases and challenge stereotypes toward transgender individuals in the area of human rights and career options (Mizock & Lewis, 2008; Pepper & Lorah, 2008; Yescavage, 1999). Particularly, counselors need to examine biases they might hold in regard to occupational choices of transgender individuals because it may negatively inuence their work with this population (e.g., an attitude that transitioned women are best suited for a career in cosmetology). Moreover, counselors must be aware of these attitudes not only within themselves, but also that their clients may face these attitudes from others (e.g., employers, coworkers). For example, Yescavage (1999) noted that when she engaged in deep and meaningful exploration of her personal biases and prejudices, it helped her gain insight about prejudicial attitudes. Counselors also can implement various strategies to facilitate the examination of personal biases and stereotypes toward transgender populations, including, but not limited to, participating in a personal growth group, journaling, and reading narratives of transgender individuals (Carroll et al., 2002). Second, professional counselors must have certain skill sets when working with transgender employees, including establishing a safe environment for transgender individuals. Although building a safe environment is abstract, such an act is a prerequisite for developing trusting relationships. ACA (2009) encouraged professional counselors to create a welcoming, afrming environment for transgender individuals and their loves ones by creating a counseling space that afrms transgender peoples identity (p. 10). Additionally, Carroll and Gilroy (2002) suggested that a safe, accepting, and respectful counseling environment encourages transgender individuals to share personal and painful experiences (e.g., oppression, discrimination, or harassment) without a fear of being judged. To establish a safe space for sharing personal experiences, counselors are encouraged to use acceptance and empathy (Carroll & Gilroy, 2002), as well as a nonjudgmental exploration of issues related to their workplace experiences. We also agree with the World Professional Association of Transgender Health Standards of Care (Meyer et al., 2001) that a trusting therapeutic relationship is an important component of successful therapy. Third, it is imperative that counselors become knowledgeable of oppression and discrimination that transgender individuals encounter in the workplace (Carroll et al., 2002) and communicate the oppressive experiences of transgender individuals to a larger community to develop a better understanding among all parties involved, such as organizations, employers, and coworkers. In the competencies, it is indicated that professional counselors must become aware of the workplace discrimination that transgender employees have experienced. Moreover, numerous studies have found that transgender employees face a plethora of employment and economic discrimination as a result of their transgender status. For example, Barclay and Scott (2006) used a case study of Susan, a transitioned woman, to examine the

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effects of sex reassignment in the workplace. Drawing on input from Susan, her coworkers, her managers, and staff, Barclay and Scott found that Susan faced hostility, harassment from colleagues (e.g., a disturbing e-mail), and lack of support from her trade union. An example from this case presents an opportunity for counselors to facilitate their and others understanding of oppression and discrimination toward transgender people. One of these tools is the Social Justice Advocacy Readiness Questionnaire (SJARQ) by Chen-Hayes (2001). The purpose of the SJARQ was to help educators, practitioners, and clients initiate and facilitate conversation regarding oppression and social justice among members in institutional and community levels (Chen-Hayes, 2001). Counselors also can communicate the experiences of transgender individuals regarding oppression, discrimination, and prejudice in the workplace to employers, institutions, and communities to promote a better understanding to all parties involved. For example, counselors can educate organizations and employers about strategies and benets of including transgender individuals in the workplace (e.g., promote workplace diversity) and preventions of inappropriate behaviors toward transgender people (e.g., develop an explicit company policy). Understanding transgender people and transgender issues in the workplace can lessen grievance and claims of discrimination, increase productivity within organizations, endorse positive reputation of institutions, and promote safe work environments for all employees (Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2008). Fourth, it is important for professional counselors to understand that the goals of counseling are not only to understand workplace issues faced by transgender individuals, but also to provide necessary information and resources to help them make informed decisions regarding career concerns. In the World Professional Association of Transgender Health Standards of Care, Meyer et al. (2001) provided the following perspective: Psychotherapy often provides education about a range of options not previously seriously considered by the patient. It emphasizes the need to set realistic life goals for work and relationships, and it seeks to dene and alleviate the patients conicts that may have undermined a stable lifestyle (p. 11). Therefore, counselors should be knowledgeable of resources that can help transgender individuals prepare to appropriately deal with workplace aggression. Examples of these resources include (a) Bias in the Workplace: Consistent Evidence of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination (Badgett, Lau, Sears, & Ho, 2007), (b) Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws (EEOC, 2004), (c) Statewide Employment Laws and Policies (Human Rights Campaign, 2008), (d) Cities and Counties with nonDiscrimination Ordinances that Include Gender Identity (Human Rights Campaign, 2010a), (e) Employment Non-Discrimination Act (Human Rights Campaign, 2010b), and (f) Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace (Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 2008). These resources assist counselors to

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learn about the nature of discrimination and oppression that transgender people may experience, as well as federal, state, and local policies and laws that affect transgender people in the workplace. Although some transgender individuals do not pursue employment discrimination protections through state disability laws for sociopolitical reasons, professional counselors should present this option to them. Fifth, professional counselors can prepare transgender individuals to generate options about arranging their gender transition in the workplace. Helping transgender individuals comprehend positive and negative consequences of coming out can assist them to be mentally ready and to develop strategies to overcome such reactions (Sheridan, 2009). Identifying their support system, especially in the workplace, is also vital for transgender individuals because gender transition could create dramatic changes that inuence their psychological, social, and occupational functioning. Further, encouraging transgender individuals to research their organizations policies and procedures regarding discrimination is also important (Sheridan, 2009). In the event that discrimination occurs, researching the organizations policies will provide knowledge and understanding of possible appropriate actions. Of course, professional counselors are not qualied to give legal advice. They can, however, inform transgender individuals to document negative events that occur in the workplace, including transphobic reactions, discriminatory remarks, harassment, and gossip. Sheridan (2009) suggested that documentation was important should legal action become necessary. Counselors also can help transgender individuals understand that disclosing their gender transition does not always result in negative reactions from coworkers and employers (Meyer et al., 2001). Rather, preparing individuals involved for disclosing gender transition is needed. When transition in the workplace goes well, it positively benets a life of transgender persons, such as psychological health, job satisfaction, support systems, nancial situation, and job security. One strategy that counselors can employ is to connect clients with other transitioned individuals and people who successfully transitioned to their new gender in the workplace. Learning from the experiences of others can facilitate a profound understanding of successful strategies and mitigate fear and anxiety of unknown situations. Sixth, professional counselors are encouraged to engage in social justice advocacy at micro- and macrolevels to inuence policies and laws (ACA, 2009; Carroll & Gilroy, 2002; Lombardi et al., 2001). At the microlevel, counselors can attempt to inuence and change institutional antiemployment discrimination policies with regard to transgender people. An example of such actions could be to encourage organizations to hire transgender consultants to provide transgender awareness trainings and to develop clear policies or

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guidelines regarding gender expression in the workplace. Sheridan (2009) noted that such trainings and policies benet coworkers by helping them understand the experiences of transgender individuals in the workplace and, consequently, help facilitate a gender transition process, as well as serve as a support system to transgender colleagues. Additionally, professional counselors can advocate for transgender individuals by encouraging organizational leaders to learn about the transgender community. Learning about the transgender community may involve reading literature or talking to transgender individuals about their experiences in the workplace (Sheridan, 2009). It is also worth noting that organizational leaders have an important responsibility to develop specic policy that includes gender identity, gender characteristics, and gender expression (Sheridan, 2009, p. 128) to protect transgender employees from maltreatments in the workplace. At a macrolevel, as noted by Lombardi et al. (2001), there are few cities in the United States that have policies to protect the transgender population from employment discrimination. It is important that counselors advocate and empower transgender individuals at the community and society levels. For instance, counselors can participate in grassroots activism to promote educational outreach and to increase public awareness to appreciate and respect a variety of lifestyles and to debunk the myths concerning the transgender population. Next, everyone (e.g., counselors) can support the transgender community by becoming allies. There are numerous ways for counselors to demonstrate their support for transgender people. Such strategies include using and promoting afrmative language that is respectful to transgender individuals and their gender identities (ACA, 2009), displaying posters and stickers in their ofces, as well as participating in signicant events of transgender groups in the community (Bockting, Knudson, & Goldberg, 2006; Mizock & Lewis, 2008). Finally, a majority of counselors are not prepared to work with transgender individuals, particularly in the area of career development (Pepper & Lorah, 2008; Sangganjanavanich, 2009). As a result of the lack of preparation among counselors, transgender individuals are an underserved population and isolated to deal with social stigma (Bess & Stabb, 2009). Therefore, it is essential that counselors use the challenges and feelings of limitations or incompetence as opportunities to gain knowledge about transgender issues in the workplace, employment, and career development. For example, counselors can become competent in transgender issues in the workplace through education, trainings, consultation, and supervision. It is also crucial for counselors to continue seeking supervision and consultation from experienced colleagues to foster their competencies in specic areas (i.e., employment during and after gender transition), which add more challenges and difculties to transgender individuals in the workplace.

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CONCLUSION
Transgender individuals have been historically marginalized and stigmatized by an oppressive, heterosexist, and transphobic society. An oppressive culture excludes transgender individuals in various places in society, including workplace and employment. Although laws and policies have been generated to protect transgender individuals from employment discrimination, the implementation of these laws and policies are still underdeveloped. It is important for counselors to understand that not every transgender individual experiences workplace aggression and discrimination. When workplace climate is inviting for transgender people, it benets not only transgender workers, but also the organization as a whole. Our intention is to provide counselors with an overview of the challenges involving work related and non-work-related aggression that transgender individuals face, as well as the roles of counselors to help this population overcome such challenges. In the continuing struggle for justice, we hope that professional counselors strive toward becoming competent in serving transgender individuals and ultimately bring social equality to this population.

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