Rachel Reese is a British transgender activist, solicitor and diversity and inclusion specialist. She began her career as an avionics software engineer at GEC Avionics before moving into human resources and studying law. She qualified as a solicitor in the 1990s and spent around 15 years at the College of Law, eventually becoming Production Director and an operational board director. Reese has spoken publicly about transitioning in the 1990s and experiencing discrimination while seeking legal employment. After initially returning to male expression, she later came out as transgender at the College of Law and transitioned with the organisation’s support. She subsequently obtained a Gender Recognition Certificate and a new birth certificate.
In 2015, Reese founded Global Butterflies, a consultancy specialising in transgender and non-binary inclusion in the workplace. She has advised organisations in the legal, financial and insurance sectors, provided training and developed workplace-transition policies and guidance. With Emma Cusdin, she co-authored A Guide to Trans and Non-binary Inclusion for Lloyd’s of London in 2019. Reese has also held prominent roles within the legal and LGBTQ+ sectors. By 2020 she was Vice-Chair of the Law Society’s LGBT Lawyers Division Committee, a trans and non-binary ambassador for Aspiring Solicitors, a trustee of GiveOut, and a judge for the People in Law Awards. Through GiveOut and Global Butterflies, she supported transgender and non-binary rights in Britain and internationally. A frequent speaker and writer on transgender equality, Reese has advocated reform of the UK Gender Recognition Act, including self-declaration of legal gender and recognition of non-binary identities.
Monika: Hello Rachel, and welcome! You wear so many hats. Do you ever find time for yourself? :)
Rachel: Hi Monika, great to meet you. You know, it’s got pretty crazy timewise, but I love my life and the work I do. Time management is key, but my motto (and my partner Emma’s) is “you have to have a little fun every day”, and we do. The people in all the organizations I volunteer for are amazing and fun, so it doesn’t feel like work at all.
Monika: You began your career as an avionics software engineer, yet you ended up in law. What prompted that change of direction?
Rachel: When I started in defense in the late 1980s, I spent a great deal of time in front of a computer writing code and didn’t really meet and speak with other people. So I moved into the HR and Training function (to meet actual people) just after the Berlin Wall came down and the defense market collapsed. I spent a lot of time working on contracts and visiting employment tribunals, and that is where I got my taste for law. My brother and sister are also both solicitors.
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| Interview for VinciWorks (YouTube) |
Monika: In a previous interview, you mentioned transitioning twice. Were there second thoughts, or perhaps a few butterflies, after the first time?
Rachel: LOL, indeed. When I came out of Law School looking for a training contract at a law firm, I interviewed several times in feminine expression, but this was the ’90s and law firms didn’t have rainbow flags hanging outside their offices back then. The experience was truly horrible, so I reverted to male expression and applied to the College of Law, where I originally trained to be a solicitor. Once I was employed at the College and felt secure, I told them I was trans and wanted to transition. This was before the UK implemented the Equality Act and the Gender Recognition Act, or really had any basic rights for trans people in the workplace, but the College handled it well and the transition was very successful. I was happy and worked my way up to Production Director over the 15 years or so that I was there.
Monika: Since 2015, your company Global Butterflies has been helping British businesses create trans and non-binary inclusive workplaces. Has the way corporate management perceives transgender employees shifted since then?
Rachel: It has indeed. Where I started out 5 years ago, compared to today, is very different. Each sector is at a different place; for instance, the legal sector is probably leading, followed by banking and insurance. The investment and advertising industries are getting started now and are making incredible progress, though all sectors still have work to do. Employers realize that having a diverse workforce (and recruiting one) gives them a competitive edge because their customers come from diverse backgrounds too. If customers/clients see their faces reflected back at them, they are more likely to buy products and use the services of that company. Further, employers are now understanding that a diverse and included workforce gives them better R&D, staff motivation, and general happiness from all in their workforce. Five years ago, I am not sure that trans and non-binary people were included as much in this thinking, but they certainly are now.
Monika: Management can write all the rules it likes, but what matters most is how those rules are observed, so that no trans woman has to fight her female co-workers for the right to use the same restroom. What makes a workplace policy work in practice?
Rachel: It is really important for companies to write, publish and regularly update their policies on D&I. These policies of course must include their Trans & Non-binary guidelines, which set out their shop front on supporting trans and non-binary individuals in their workforce, e.g. clear statements of support, recognition of the contribution of trans and non-binary people in the workplace, healthcare, the right to use restrooms in line with their gender expression, legal protections, and key company contact points for help and advice.
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| Photo by Simon Fenandez. |
Monika: And when bullying or harassment does occur, how should a company respond?
Rachel: They must have clear and up-to-date policies on bullying and harassment, clearly setting out what will happen if an employee is bullied, discriminated against, or harassed by another employee based on their characteristics, e.g. being trans or non-binary. Good HR departments usually deal with the person complaining by making them adjust their working environment, not the trans person who is going about their daily life in the workplace. If the policies are clearly documented and HR teams trained, the rights of trans & non-binary people in the workplace should be maintained and protected.
Monika: More than a decade has passed since the Equality Act and the Gender Recognition Act came into force, allowing British people with gender dysphoria to change their legal gender. It was celebrated as a great success of the trans community at the time. With hindsight, which aspects should be added or revisited?
Rachel: The Equality Act 2010 has got very creaky!! I think two areas should be improved, firstly to change the characteristic protecting trans people from “Gender Reassignment” to “Gender Identity”. The former is an outdated term that sounds medicalized (even though it is not meant to be). The latter term is more representative of the trans community, recognizing in particular non-binary people. Non-binary people, at present, are not expressly protected by the Equality Act; this small change would clearly and unambiguously include them.
Monika: A small change with a big effect. What would you improve next?
Rachel: The Genuine Occupational Requirements in the workplace need to be removed or reduced. There are not many jobs now in the workplace that can only be done exclusively by a man or by a woman.
Monika: The Gender Recognition Act has its own shortcomings too. How do you assess it today?
Rachel: The Gender Recognition Act 2004 is too bureaucratic, medicalized, time-consuming, and can be expensive. Its main failing is that it does not recognize non-binary people, and people aged 16 & 17 can’t apply (i.e. over 18 only). There is also a consideration that needs to be added for children under 16, with parental consent, to have access to this system. A system like those in Malta and Ireland, e.g. Self-Declaration, would be ideal.
Monika: Vocal anti-trans groups have long been part of the landscape for the trans movement. Where is the main battlefield today?
Rachel: Sadly, in the UK, there are a lot of gender-critical (GC) hate groups, justifying this transphobia as “safety issues” for women (where obviously there are none); they have stalled the Self-Declaration process/review. The UK Government were initially supportive of trans/non-binary self-declaration rights, but following hundreds of inaccurate transphobic articles in the UK media, fuelled and written by the GC groups, the Government have almost u-turned on this process and may in fact implement processes that are worse than we have now. We are waiting for the summer to see what the UK Women & Equalities Minister, Liz Truss, will announce. It does not look promising and is a worrying time for my community.
Monika: The transgender cause is usually presented alongside those of the other LGBTQ communities. Sitting second to last in the abbreviation, can the trans community still promote its own cause within the group?
Rachel: Absolutely. I think there are two levels of education. The first is helping people to understand the “T” in terms of our struggles, challenges, and the benefits to our lives, in order to see that being allowed to express our gender identity is not only beneficial to us but to society, and this is what Global Butterflies starts with in our training. However, the second step, of course, is that we are not just “T”; people are more than one characteristic, and many trans people are in fact LGB, so we are intertwined. I am Trans, a Woman, Irish & British, Lesbian, Dyslexic, etc. ... we are all onions!!! Lots of layers. So although we do need to push the “T” quite firmly at first, we don’t lose anything by promoting and educating alongside LGBQI, as we are all often interrelated.
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| Courtesy of Rachel Reese. Source: Gettyimages. |
Monika: Do the Labour and Conservative parties differ in the way they address the needs of the UK trans community?
Rachel: Lol! I try not to follow the politics in the UK. Both parties are not squeaky clean in regard to trans & non-binary rights. The Gender Recognition Act was brought in 2004 by the Labour Government, but that was following an ECHR ruling, so they didn’t really have a choice. Many notable Conservative MPs voted against this Act. The Equality Act 2010 was brought in again by Labour, so they do score some positive points here.
Monika: What does the Conservatives’ more recent record look like?
Rachel: If we look at more recent history, the Conservatives undertook the UK Women’s and Equality Committee review of trans and non-binary rights in the UK, which was reported in 2016; however, many of the recommendations have not been followed up by them. The Conservatives also undertook the Gender Recognition Act Consultation (under Theresa May’s leadership), which we were all excited about. However, due to the GC movement and much negative press, the Conservatives delayed reporting, and now we are hearing very worrying comments from the current minister of the UK Women & Equalities Committee, Liz Truss, who seems to have been swayed by the GC movement. We will see what her report will be this summer.
Monika: Turning back to Labour, how did its leadership contest look from the trans community’s point of view?
Rachel: The leadership contest had 4 candidates: Emily Thornberry, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy, and Keir Starmer. Emily, Rebecca, and Lisa all signed a pledge supporting the trans community against GC hate groups; sadly, Keir Starmer, who won the leadership contest, would not sign the pledge. As you can see, neither party really shines over UK trans rights. My advice, vote Liberal Democrat!!
Monika: Back when you transitioned, were there any transgender role models you looked up to?
Rachel: There was a distinct lack of role models when I was younger. However, there were two I so admired: firstly, the wonderful Julia Grant, who was the first trans person I saw on television in 1978. She went through her transition on television and had an awful time, but came through it with good grace. She sadly died in 2019. Secondly, the fantastic model Caroline Cossey, who was in the 1981 Bond movie. She battled with the European Court for 7 years over her human rights because she couldn’t change her birth certificate. The UK media hounded her, but she was strong and survived them. Today I really only admire trans role models that are doing it for the activism and the community, not just wanting to be famous for being trans.
Monika: And today? Which transgender women do you admire and respect now?
Rachel: That is easy: my partner Emma Cusdin, who is calm, kind, and my best friend. There can be a lot of unkindness coming from my own trans community and this upsets me, but Emma is always the voice of reason and kindness that puts me back on balance. She has been through a lot in her life and has come through to be a great community role model, recognised by the British Prime Minister as a Point of Light for her trans activism.
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| Why should my law firm be trans inclusive? (YouTube) |
Monika: I once read that cisgender women were liberated by the contraceptive pill, while transgender women are free today thanks to cosmetic surgery, no longer prisoners of the passing or non-passing syndrome. What do you make of that idea?
Rachel: I have never heard that, interesting. My view is that when I was young, maybe trans women wanted surgery to pass and set them free, but today I think “passing privilege” is not as important as maybe some of us thought it was. In the ’80s, I wanted to pass so people wouldn’t beat me up on the street. Now that I am older and don’t pass any longer (I have stopped trying), people don’t really react. Lots of trans women don’t have surgery or train their voices because they are happy being themselves as they are. Society’s defined views on what a woman should be, look like, and sound like have changed so much. I am glad the surgeries are there for those that want them, but I am not sure they set us free anymore; it all depends on a person’s personal journey.
Monika: What new projects are keeping you busy at the moment?
Rachel: We are working on two projects. One is the delivery of trans & non-binary inclusion training virtually (we were only face to face before). The recent lockdown in the UK has meant that all our training, presentations, and consultation are now delivered online. Global Butterflies is the number 1 corporate trans inclusion training company in the UK, and we want to stay in this position. Secondly, we are called “Global” Butterflies, thus we are intending to deliver training in Hong Kong at the end of the year, so we are working on content for this. On a personal level, I am trying to find ways to raise funding for my charity GiveOut, which needs funding at this difficult time under lockdown.
Monika: What advice would you offer trans people who are struggling with gender dysphoria?
Rachel: There are two journeys that we all undertake: the gender expression change journey (medical and/or social change) and the mental health journey. Most of us concentrate on the first but not the second. The mental health journey is very important, so I advise trans people to ensure that they have a network of support in place before they start their transition journey. This usually consists of friends, employment (good work colleagues), counseling, and family. You can’t always have all these in place, but try to line up some support, so it is in place when you need it. Without a support mechanism in place, any transition is considerably harder and more challenging.
Monika: My pen friend Gina Grahame once wrote to me that we should not limit our potential by the way we were born or by what we see other transgender people doing. Her message was that our dreams should not end on an operating table, because that is where they begin. Does that resonate with you?
Rachel: A lovely saying, thanks for sharing. For me, every transition journey is different; no two transitions are the same. My dreams started the day I went full-time in my female gender expression, not when I had surgery. Many in the community won’t have any surgery but may socially change their gender expression. I think all our lives improve and our dreams can come true, but it does not necessarily start on the operating table. They can start anytime, e.g. family acceptance, self-acceptance, work acceptance, the first day at work in a new gender expression, meeting a new supportive partner. Every journey, and our expectations and dreams, will be different.
All the photos: courtesy of Rachel Reese.
© 2020 - Monika Kowalska
