Trans Visibility: providing acceptance of self-image is also inclusion
On January 29th, Trans and Transvestite People Visibility Day was celebrated, with the debate on the issue becoming increasingly intense in society. The date emerged in 2004 as a campaign by the Ministry of Health, now in 2024, the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship launched a new campaign to celebrate 20 years of fighting for rights, representationgiving visibility to such segregated groups.
Still, in companies we see very few concrete actions to affirm this visibility and, mainly, to ensure that these communities feel, in fact, welcomed and supported beyond HR manuals. In this aspect, Intel stands out, being one of the rare examples in the corporate world that effectively creates Diversity and Inclusion programs that include trans and transvestite people, with programs aimed at meeting the demands and urgencies for the rights of these groups.
Transitioning is a choice, but above all it is a right
The first pillar of these actions is the Intel Umbrella Plan, Intel's corporate benefits plan in partnership with Allianz Care. Aiming to provide supplementary healthcare for employees and their families, the plan is extremely comprehensive.
Companies need to invest in concrete actions to enable diversity and inclusion of trans people.
In addition to covering fertility treatments, cancer treatment and congenital problems, the plan also offers coverage for gender transition treatments and other services related to the health of trans and transvestites. This is because, in the company's view, recognizing health issues as treatments that affect how people recognize themselves and fit into society is also a crucial affirmative measure.
The practice of inclusion needs to cover not only how the company perceives the employee, but also work on the entire process of (re)construction and acceptance of self-image and self-esteem. Still with regard to the trans community, Intel is a strong supporter of the Pride of My RG project.
Identity Construction is part of the inclusion process
Coordinated by the organization Bicha da Justiça, an education and legal consultancy company specialized in LGBTQIAPN+ rights, Orgulho do Meu RG helps members of the community to rectify their official documents.
Despite being a legal right, cases of embarrassment and obstacles created for these people to change their name, gender and other information to those with which they actually identify are not uncommon.
As a company with global operations, it is natural for Intel to offer its employees opportunities to work in different countries, depending on the position profile and possible career plans. Therefore, ensure that trans people have their documents regularized It also accelerates possible relocations of employees to different centers.
In recent years, the Pride of My RG project has rectified more than 5,000 documents through a secure process fully mediated by the company, changing the lives of thousands of Brazilian trans people residing in the country or abroad.
It is important to emphasize that such support for the trans community is not a preferential investment in one group or another, but precisely the opposite. Intel's culture of Diversity and Inclusion understands that, even though there are many social groups that need affirmative measures, each group has specific demands that need to be considered to put action plans into practice.
Even with an official date to celebrate the visibility of trans people, the statistics of violence against these people are still absurdly high in Brazil. Changing this requires intense work, but, at the same time, it also requires care and a lot of sensitivity, as these are groups that often still need to fight to guarantee the minimum of their social spaces.
Having this perception and transforming it into real actions is just one of the points that led to the company being recognized in 2023 as one of the best companies for LGBTQIAPN+ people to work for by Human Rights Campaing. For the company, celebrating Trans and Transvestite People Visibility Day on January 29th is especially important, as it does not just reflect a flag, but a mission.
