Visible at work: Trans members in UNISON Cymru

The International Transgender Day of Visibility takes place on 31 March each year. It celebrates transgender people, raises awareness of discrimination and recognises their contribution to society.

Cas Metcalf (pictured, above left), a social worker in Swansea, and Connor Freel (pictured, above right), a leadership trainer with North Wales Police, are both UNISON members active in the LGBT+ self-organised group in Cymru. They spoke about what visibility means in their working lives and what they deal with day to day.

Across the UK, trans people face a hostile climate. Media coverage often paints them as a problem. That tone shows up in real life. You hear it in conversations at work. You see it in how people behave in public. Trans workers get questioned, excluded and singled out. Some face harassment. Some face violence. Many weigh up whether it is safe to speak, to correct someone or to be open about who they are.

Being visible and being yourself at work

Both describe what it means to be visible, and how that has changed over time. For Cas, who is non-binary, coming out at work was gradual. “The first place where I came out in work,” they say. “For a long time it was a confidence thing.” They also point to the seclusion that can come with that. “It can feel quite isolating.”

Connor’s experience has been more direct. “It wasn’t a choice that I made. It was after being outed multiple times that I started to take back my own semblance of control,” he says. “At least I can control the narrative. I’m already out. There’s no going back in the closet for me.”

He also describes the reality many trans people face earlier in life. “I’ve been jumped on, I’ve been attacked, I’ve been othered, I’ve been discriminated against,” he says. He recalls leaving sixth form after being physically assaulted and excluded by other students. “People stopped speaking to me.” It was only when he spoke openly that things began to shift. “Once they knew a little bit, because they could humanise me then.”

That idea of being seen as a person runs through both their experiences. “I’m just a person. I’ve got a mortgage, I’ve got a job, I’ve got knee pain, I’ve got back pain,” Connor says. 

“We’re just people. We shouldn’t be a demonised population.”

Finding a place in UNISON

They came into UNISON for different reasons. Cas joined after seeing how badly things can go without support at work. “I think that really highlighted for me the importance of that workplace support,” they say. Their route into Wales and the union came through the film Pride, which “introduced me to Wales, and introduced me to the trade union movement and showing what we can do with solidarity across different groups.”

Connor’s path into the union started more casually. “I thought it was just job insurance,” he says. That changed when his branch asked him to take on an LGBT+ role. “I had no idea what that entailed, however, yes.” He soon found himself attending conferences and working to raise the profile of LGBT+ staff across his organisation.

Both found their place in UNISON through the UNISON Cymru LGBT+ self-organised group and then by getting involved in wider union structures.

For Cas, that included attending conferences and seeing trans members visible in the union. “It was really, really powerful for me to see that there is a place at the table,” they say. “Through LGBT+ structures, I’ve had a lot of people supporting me in my development and encouraging me.”

Connor had a similar experience. When he first attended a conference, other members of the group helped him find his feet. “They put it into lay terms for me and guided me through the entire conference,” he says. “The group has been incredibly supportive.” Both describe the Cymru LGBT+ self-organised group as a space where members can connect, build confidence and get active in the union.

Support and challenges within the union

Both say they have found strong support in UNISON. “As a whole, yes,” says Cas. They point to conferences where members introduce themselves with their pronouns and to the backing they have had as a newer activist. “They’ve got my back in helping make sure I’ve got the confidence and skills for it.”

Connor describes a similar experience. “It’s been supportive,” he says. He points to the work of activists across the union to push LGBT+ issues forward. “Everybody has been there for the forwarding of the LGBT+ movement, for LGBT+ rights.” He also highlights the impact beyond the union itself, with members building links and making progress in their workplaces and local communities.

Both are clear that support does not mean everything works as it should. “There definitely were some issues,” says Cas. “Not all of the wider structures are caught up.”

Connor also points to tensions, including within the LGBT+ community itself. “There’s even division being sown within the LGBT+ community,” he says. “We all need to stand together.” He adds that some attitudes come from a lack of understanding rather than hostility. “There’s a couple of voices that you just think, you just need to be a little bit more educated, or a little bit more open minded.”

A changing climate at work and beyond

The recent Supreme Court ruling has had a direct impact on both of them. Cas describes the immediate effect as “the emotional bit and the frustration and disappointment.” It has also changed how they move through everyday situations. “I am starting to question more and more, okay, am I going to be getting hassled?”

Connor speaks about the impact in more stark terms. “It really, really upset me, to the point where I lost a chunk of my hair off the back of my head,” he says. He describes the reaction to the ruling as rushed and damaging. “The knee jerk reaction was what upset me the most.” For him, the consequences go beyond the decision itself. “It sort of completely erased the visibility and the rights of a lot of trans, non binary and gender diverse experiences within the workplace.”

He adds that the effects are wider than many realise. “We haven’t consulted with the right people, and it’s going to impact a heck of a lot more people than we actually thought.” In his words, “the impact has been massive.”

Connor puts it more bluntly. “They’ll get me turning up with a beard, and guaranteed if I go into a female toilet, I’ll get challenged or I’ll get punched.” 

He describes that as “a dangerous predicament to be in in the workplace or in society.”

Both come back to the same point. People want to get on with their jobs and their lives. “We’re all there to live and work with dignity and respect,” Connor says.

Both also point to examples of workplaces getting it right. Cas describes a team that took support seriously from the start. “My team leader was really great about asking me and letting me take the lead on what was done and what his role should be,” they say. That approach carried through their team. “All of my colleagues are really supportive.”

They describe small, consistent actions that make a difference. “When new people are coming into the team, they get told by somebody what my pronouns are and are using them correctly.” Even simple changes have an impact. “My pronouns are in my email signature, and the amount of families that have picked up on that just from seeing my signature and then using them correctly,” they say. “That’s the only way that they’re finding out and it’s working.” For Cas, that creates a workplace where they can focus on the job. “Nobody at work has given me any hassle. Nobody’s really reacted negatively.”

Connor’s experience shows how change can happen, even if it comes late. “Now they’re coming to me and they’re like, ‘We need your advice on X, Y and Z’.” He argues that involving people earlier would avoid problems in the first place. “If we actually consult with groups before decisions are made, we can have really inclusive practices.”

What needs to change at work

Both point to the same gap in their workplaces: the lack of clear policy. Cas says their employer has no policy on transitioning. “Going into this blind is not a great experience,” they say. For them, the solution is straightforward. “That’s why I feel it’s really important to have a trans workplace policy.” They add that this should be a priority across the union. “If other branches don’t have any policies around transitioning and supporting trans employees, that’s definitely something that should be a focus.”

Connor has been raising the same issue at work. He argues that acting earlier would have avoided many of the current problems. “If we’d have done this in the first place, we’d have had a really inclusive approach.” He adds this is not just about fairness. “We could save a heck of a lot on Employment Tribunals and grievances if we just get it right the first time.”

What members can do next

Both want to see action at every level of the union. Cas highlights the need for training, especially for reps supporting members in the workplace. “For stewards and reps … there definitely needs to be training on how to support trans members,” they say. “It’s really important, especially for that to happen at the branch level.”

Connor puts it plainly. “Take part in trans ally training.” He argues that change depends on what members do day to day. “If they see one thing that’s discriminatory in their day to day jobs, call it out to your union.” For him, allyship comes down to simple actions. “It’s about sticking up for people that aren’t even in the room.”

Both stress that progress relies on people working together. “We’d be absolutely nowhere without our allies,” Connor says. Cas adds that the union has a role in setting direction and standards, while recognising there is more to do. For both, conversations matter. They create understanding, challenge assumptions and open the door to change.

They also point to the importance of getting involved. That can mean attending meetings, linking up with LGBT+ officers, or connecting with other members locally. It can also mean taking part in union structures where decisions are made and voices are heard.

For Cas, visibility remains central. Seeing trans members active in the union shaped their own sense of belonging. “It was really, really powerful for me to see that there is a place at the table.”

Connor puts it more directly. “Nothing about us without us.”