Transgender and nonbinary individuals experience stigma, discrimination and cisgenderism in employment, the workplace and in seeking trans-affirmative career services. These three presentations focus on critical needs in research and practice for transgender and nonbinary people in vocational psychology, work and career development. First, we present an overview of scholarship in vocational psychology, I/O psychology and career development since 2008, which illustrates what we know about trans youth and adults in the career arena. This presentation includes a discussion of gaps in this research and suggestions about future research directions. The second two presentations are both qualitative research studies centering the voices of trans participants as they narrate experiences of employment and career decision-making. The first of these presents themes from 24 interviewees, ages 26-73, to examine the intersection of gender identity and career decision-making around career or work shifts within a relational and intersectional framework. The final presentation discusses the experiences of employment of 18 trans Latinx immigrants in the U.S. Thematic analysis revealed five themes:
- limited options,
- discrimination,
- momentary detransition,
- positive experiences, and
- disability.
We provide social-justice-focused and culturally appropriate practices for working with this population.
- Transgender Issues in Vocational Psychology: What do we know and what do we need to know? Presenters: Sue L Motulsky, EdD, Lesley University and Kimberly Howard, PhD, Boston University
- Career Decision-Making and Gender Identity: Intersections and Influences. Presenter: Sue L. Motulsky, EdD, Lesley University
- Immigrant Latinx Transgender People's Experiences with Seeking Employment. Presenters: Roberto L. Abreu, PhD, University of Florida and Gabriel Lockett, MA, University of Florida; Kirsten A. Gonzalez, PhD, University of Tennessee and Louis Lindley, MA, University of Wisconsin-Madison