Nearly 30 years' experience in his career should give Jack an excellent chance in securing a job relevant to his qualifications and expertise, but most of his accomplishments were achieved under a different name, as a woman.
"It's only in the last 10 years that I've addressed the transgender issues I've been aware of since I was a child," the 50-year-old explains. "When I was younger I took a much lower-profile approach because I didn't have the confidence to present myself as the person I really am. Then I was offered a redundancy package and saw that as a new beginning and the chance to find greater happiness in changing my name and presenting myself as a man."
Jack won't say what his previous name was – it is in the past, he explains, and doesn't matter. But gender reassignment can be a difficult path, often surrounded by myths and suppositions. "I knew I wasn't gay but many people assume you are," explains Jack. "They also get confused with transvestites, so it does leave you feeling very misunderstood and marginalised. Sometimes you really don't know who to turn to for help, especially if you feel you're being discriminated against."
A free half-day seminar, entitled Advising Transgender Clients, takes place today. It aims to address these concerns, with a range of notable speakers including Prof Kenneth Norrie, University of Strathclyde, Lynn Welsh, Head of the Legal, Equality and Human Rights Commission and Neil Stevenson, director of representation and professional support, Law Society of Scotland.
The event at Edinburgh University will be chaired by James Morton, the Scottish Transgender Alliance Co-ordinator, with discussions on common forms of discrimination, improving trans inclusion in legal service provision and identifying strategic cases which will solve an issue for the individual involved as well as clarifying a legal point. "Many trans people struggle with long waiting lists for NHS gender reassignment treatments, sometimes for years," explains Nathan Gale from Equality Network. "People are put in wards according to the sex they were assigned at birth instead of the gender they live as or they can have difficulties in accessing gender-specific services. They face transphobic harassment and hate crimes of all kinds, from being shouted at in the street to physical and sexual assaults, or transwomen having had the police called for using the female toilets. Others have had words like 'freak' or 'pervert' sprayed on their doors and been forced from their homes.
"Transgender people face many challenges and experience many forms of discrimination from transphobia, bullying and discriminatory treatment in schools, to harassment and physical assault and rejection from families, work colleagues and friends," says Lynn Welsh. "While many of the problems faced by transgender people are attitudinal, there are also laws in place designed to protect them from the bullying, hostility and targeted violence they experience on a regular basis.
"This event will give the Commission the opportunity to talk about these laws and to discuss how public bodies can better meet their legal obligation to eliminate discrimination.
"We want to make clear that transgender discrimination is unacceptable and, most often, unlawful, and that there is tangible recourse for people experiencing it first hand."
A networking lunch aims to help the Scottish Transgender Alliance make links with lawyers who have some awareness of the relevant issues. "Many legal firms trying to serve a local client group will find this seminar very useful," says Neil Stevenson of The Law Society of Scotland. "On average LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] clients have to travel more than 100 miles to find a lawyer able to give them the advice they need and we hope to bring lawyers into direct contact with those who have experienced discrimination, as well as meeting lawyers who have themselves gone through gender changes."
Jack sees the seminar as a major step forward in raising awareness and points out that a high proportion of transgender people are unemployed, suffer depression and feel suicidal. "I've been the subject of gossip in the workplace and even had a senior manager disclosing my private life to others who didn't need to know the details," he says. "You get tired of fighting those attitudes and not knowing what your legal position is, so I welcome any attempt to make sure that more lawyers know how to help people like me."
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