Manager's Report

by Elizabeth Riley

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

I have recently been appointed to the executive of Employment Equity Specialist's Association (E.E.S.A.). E.E.S.A. are the representative body of E.E.O. practitioners for the N.S.W. Government sector and have representatives from most government departments and state authorities in N.S.W. E.E.S.A. works in close conjunction with the Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Employment (O.D.E.O.P.E.) and its members are committed to ensuring fair and equitable practice in the workplace.

I have been a member of E.E.S.A. for over twelve months and have been trying to keep the issue of transgender employment in focus. As a member of the executive, I will be in a position to present a more consistent argument for employment equity for transgenders in the public sector. I also expect to be presenting a talk at the E.E.S.A. conference to be held in November of this year. Attendees will come from a broader cross section of the public service than just those who are members of E.E.S.A. My aim will be to address the attitudes that often serve to bar transgenders from employment.

It should be noted though, that E.E.S.A. members' commitment to equity is not always reflected by the management of the organisations they belong to. Even in the targeted areas of equity; women, N.E.S.B., aboriginality and disability the desired outcomes have still not been achieved. There is, therefore, still some work to be done to improve the situation for the transgender community who are not, as yet, a targeted group.

To those of you in search of work and who are regularly submitting resumes, all I can say is keep your spirits up and keep at it. Your efforts may be frustrating, but persistence is the answer. If you have the skills required, try applying for state government positions. These organisations should be increasingly more receptive to transgender applicants.

If you are semi-skilled or unskilled then consider approaching Centrelink to talk to them about training options. Whether you are looking for work in the public or private sector you have a much better chance if you have the skills to back you up.

Finally, I would reiterate my view that the outlook is improving for the transgender community in many areas, including employment. My election to the E.E.S.A. executive is a solid reflection of the support that we are gaining from many in the wider community.

Poster Campaign

The Transgender Working Party, (chaired by the Department for Women) is launching a poster campaign to raise awareness of transgender issues in the wider community. The poster campaign will be similar to the successful anti-homophobia campaign. We are doing a trial run of 10,000 posters which will be distributed through a range of government and non-government organisations. If successful, we will seek to extend the campaign.

The Gender Centre would like to acknowledge the many government departments who have donated money towards the production of the posters, and the representatives of these departments for their commitment in attending working party meetings and in working to develop strategies to address the issues facing the transgender community.

Share My Story Evenings

We are planning a series of evenings with special guest speakers who will share their personal experience of gender transition. Speakers will be chosen to present a range of information around their successful transition and in a question/answer session can advise or assist those present in the pleasures and pitfalls of their own process.

We will initially run these sessions informally at occasional Tuesday evening drop-ins. These evenings should be interesting and potentially very helpful, so stay tuned for more details.

Got A Problem? Need Some Help?

We are hoping to include a column in "Polare" which will address issues facing the community. If you have a pressing problem, be it legal, medical or anything else that is specific to your being transgender, we would invite you to write to us with details of the issue. We will select a problem from each issue and then attempt to find expert opinion on what course of action you might take. (You will not be personally identified).

We are aware of course, that the transgender community faces many issues and some of these do not have ready solutions. We will try to focus on those issues that affect a cross-section of our community and that we can provide reliable advice on. Please note: that any member of the community is welcome to contact us at any time to assist with issues that they are having. The column in "Polare" is in addition to our regular service.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.