Gordon Graham
Category: Corrections
Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s Tip is for all my friends in corrections. I’d like to talk to you about rights and protections for transgender correctional officers.
Like everyone, transgender individuals should be able to live and work without facing bigotry and intolerance
One key protection is provided by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on sex. In 2020, the Supreme Court extended this prohibition to include a person’s gender identity. Despite this, transgender correctional officers still face unique challenges in the workplace.
It goes without saying: Correctional facilities are high-stress environments. For transgender officers, job stress may be amplified by discriminatory harassment. This can take the form of derogatory comments, the use of incorrect names or pronouns, and even physical attacks. This type of treatment can create a hostile work environment, negatively impacting an officer’s mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
The challenges faced by transgender officers aren’t just their problem to bear. As a society, we should try to acknowledge and understand these challenges. Doing so fosters a more inclusive and respectful environment. After all, every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
To ensure transgender officers are given the protections required by law, agencies must create and enforce policies and procedures that make those protections explicit and unambiguous. This lays the foundation for a culture of respect and understanding in the workplace. Facility staff should also receive all mandated training on discrimination and harassment. Such training should be appropriately documented, with staff member acknowledgements retained as required by law and policy.
Folks, let’s all do our part to keep the workplace free of any nonsense that creates a hostile work environment. Focus on our primary goals of safety and security so everyone goes home at the end of their shift – free of discrimination and harassment.
And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Until next time, Gordon Graham signing off.
