In an unprecedented effort spearheaded by the Tel Aviv municipality, Israel’s social security, and LGBTQ nonprofit organizations, the city will soon inaugurate a new office designed to help transgender people find employment.
According to a recent survey by the bureau for equal opportunities at work in the Israeli Ministry of Economy, transgender Israelis suffer from discrimination at a far higher rate than gays, lesbians, or bisexuals: As many as 86 percent reported having experienced some form of bias when trying to find work, 72 percent reported offensive comments by their direct supervisor, and 39 percent said they were asked to dress in a way incompatible with their gender identification.
To that end, the new office will collect data on available jobs, provide assistance with writing resumes and preparing for job interviews, and coach job candidates on ways to address bias. In addition, the center will also brief potential employers about the transgender community and its needs.
A statement to the Israeli press released earlier this week by a number of civil rights groups involved with the center said that the new center will contribute to a more diverse and rich society. “The principle of diversity,” read the statement, “derives from an aspiration to an organizational culture that accepts, respects, and cherishes, both personally and professionally, people who come from different backgrounds and who embody these differences.”
Liel Leibovitz is editor-at-large for Tablet Magazine and a host of its weekly culture podcast Unorthodox and daily Talmud podcast Take One. He is the editor of Zionism: The Tablet Guide.
