'Coming out' in the workplace

Hi All,

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I am taking this opportunity to share with you some personal news that will be relevant to anyone contacting me going forward.

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I am transgender. Those in my direct team at _______ and HR have been incredibly supportive. Because of the overwhelming support I have been shown, I am deciding to make you all aware as wider stakeholders, internal management and ______ project personnel. I am confident that everyone will adjust to any changes made professionally and compassionately. I am looking forward to bringing myself more into my role with fewer barriers. My transition will only serve to enhance my performance in my role as I will be able to bring myself into my role as__________ without the anxiety or confusion that I have been experiencing or without feeling like I am living a double life.

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Since beginning my role at ____________, I have been taking steps in my personal life to understand my identity and rectify issues that I have been struggling to make sense of for as long as I can remember. Now, over a year into my management role, I have been lucky enough to access the knowledge of experts and have formally been diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria. In the last year, my realization has had a dramatic positive effect on my physical and mental wellbeing and has brought me more joy every day than I knew was possible.

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I will be taking steps to transition medically in the new year. It is crucial that everyone is ready to undergo this change with me. It will ease my discomfort at work to have my external appearance match my internal gender identity. My transition process at __________ will be a long-term solution. In the coming months, I will make small changes to my appearance that will accumulate over the next year.

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My name at work will be changed to _______ (short for ________). I would also like people to use ______ pronouns for me. In the short/medium term, I will not be enforcing these as I recognize that this will take some adjustment, but I hope that in time, it will feel as abnormal to everyone as it does to myself to be known as ________ with _________ pronouns.

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Any emails sent to me at ______________will be redirected to my new email address _______________

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I’m very excited to be undertaking this with you all. This change will only help me serve the students who benefit from the _____ project with confidence.

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Happy trans awareness week.

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Thank you,
__________ (Formerly _________)