This week, we were delighted to welcome Emma Custin from Global Butterflies. As part of Hunters' EDI committee's (slightly belated) celebration of Trans Day of Visibility and the start of Pride month, Emma gave us an entertaining and insightful talk entitled 'Trans 101'. Emma spoke about her lived experience, both in the workplace and more generally, as well as offering a whistlestop tour of terminology, and sharing some sobering statistics about the levels of discrimination faced by trans people in areas from healthcare to recruitment.
Time and again, the message that emerged was of the importance of getting to know colleagues, clients and contacts as people, without making assumptions. It was refreshing to be hear that it's alright to make mistakes – something that perhaps lawyers more than most need to be reminded of! A correction and an apology can very often go a long way.
It was a pleasure to see so many colleagues at the event. There was a wide range of prior knowledge and personal experience in the room, and it was valuable to have the opportunity for such constructive and respectful discussion. Emma was generous in answering lots of questions after the talk, and it's been great to hear the conversation continue around the office in the following days.