As a queer, transgender man who transitioned on the job in 2011, I'm passionate about inclusion efforts within the water industry and all aspects of life. Embracing that whom I choose to love is not bound by gender, sex, or gender expression has allowed me to be open to some amazing friendships and relationships.
 

I am proud to be transgender. Being raised, educated, and employed while being perceived as a girl and woman taught me so much about what women go through, especially working in STEM careers. It made me aware that women have to work harder than their male perceived counterparts; that their use of language gets picked apart because it’s different from how men communicate, and are often given tasks solely based on their gender. I saw what other women experienced and it taught me to stop making assumptions about others, based on what they are perceived to be, and to be curious about them as people.

 

I’ve witnessed men feeling hurt by trying to reach a gender standard, based on the expectation of how a man is supposed to behave. I realized I don’t have the same expectation because I wasn’t raised as a boy.

 

My experience living in the middle, with gender ambiguity, was by far the scariest time in my life. It showed how we as a society try to put everyone in a box and when someone ‘doesn’t fit’ it effects assumptions about a person or how a person is treated. This level of understanding opened a capacity for empathy that curbed my bias and assumptions of others.

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It makes me uniquely able to understand, share, and translate challenging diversity, equity, and inclusion topics with others. By sharing my story and working with others to expand their understanding of DEI topics, I help to build an environment where people can be their most authentic selves.