Abstract
Despite growing research on LGBT+ populations, few studies have examined transgender individuals’ specific workplace experiences, whose voice is often subsumed in a wider category. This article presents the story of Kathrine, a female transgender food retail worker, and discusses the abusive, discriminatory and transphobic behaviour of customers, which has received limited attention in the sociology of service work literature. The article reveals the stigmatization of transgender employees by customers, which is expressed through micro-aggressions, such as mis-gendering, mocking and harassing, and is often neglected and/or tolerated by management. Kathrine discusses the coping strategies she utilizes to reduce the negative consequences of the stigma, and to negotiate and protect her gender identity. These include confronting and/or refusing to serve transphobic customers, reflecting her resilience towards discrimination and abuse. The article calls for further research to understand transgender service employees’ experiences and the complexity and diversity of coping strategies used by stigmatized workers.
Highlights
Despite the increasing presence of transgender individuals in media, and the growing research on LGBT+ populations (Law et al, 2011), few studies have examined the specific workplace experience of transgender employees (Thoroughgood et al, 2017). This ‘On the Front Line’ article presents Kathrine’s story, who works as a food retail worker, Corresponding author: Anastasios Hadjisolomou, University of Strathclyde, 199 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Kathrine’s account sheds light on the experiences of transgender employees in the UK service sector and the coping strategies adopted within interactions with transphobic customers
The article starts by underlining the underdeveloped transgender employee research agenda. This is followed by discussions on customer transphobic abuse, the stigmatization of transgender individuals in service work and coping strategies utilized by the latter
Summary
Despite the increasing presence of transgender individuals in media, and the growing research on LGBT+ populations (Law et al, 2011), few studies have examined the specific workplace experience of transgender employees (Thoroughgood et al, 2017). There are daily incidences of customer abuse in the store, while its location often drives negative attitudes towards transgender individuals such as herself. Customer abuse is part of retail work, yet in her case, this includes elements of stigmatization and transphobia.
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