A job fair for transgender, gender non binary and non-conforming individuals hosted at the Los Angeles Trade-Tech College and sponsored by the St. Johns Well Child and Family Center in South LA drew over 70 employers seeking job candidates from the severely underrepresented group. Large corporations such as Paramount, Hilton, Sony, Starbucks and Viacom were among those participating.
Trans people are three times as likely to be unemployed as the rest of the population, and 1/3 live in poverty. Businesses have increasingly adopted nondiscrimination policies, gender transition guidelines and inclusive healthcare policies in recent years.
“I think these companies are understanding that there’s some incredibly talented applicants out there that are untapped,” said Wendy Musell, president of the California Employment Lawyers Association. “And by demonstrating that it’s a safe and welcoming environment, they not only get excellent employees, but they also get brand loyalty from the LGBT community” from both employees and customers.
Read more at Los Angeles Times.