Gender transitions at Pinterest
Image source: https://broadlygenderphotos.vice.com/
At Pinterest, we think building a diverse team is critical to creating something the entire world can use. We want the people we hire to reflect the world we serve and understand those who are different from them. Building an inclusive work environment is important to us, which is why we signed the landmark ”friend of the court” Amicus Brief in July to support protections for LGBTQ employees. We’ve been offering a custom gender field option for new users since in 2015, and are proud to have scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
Making Pinterest’s employee culture safe and supportive for people who are transitioning is an important part of living our values. We are deeply committed to creating and sustaining a work environment where everyone—regardless of sex, gender or gender identity—feels valued. We approach this commitment through employee resource groups, insurance medical coverage policies that are fully WPATH (World Professional Association of Transgender Health) compliant, paid family leave, and now, a clear process to support employees who are transitioning.
To help other workplaces looking to support their trans employees, we’re making our gender transition guide available to the public. Designed by and for Pinterest employees, we’ve put together a roadmap for transitioning employees to follow with additional resources for managers, HR departments, teams and allies who want to support their colleagues with awareness, sensitivity and kindness.
A Pinterest employee shared about their experience working at Pinterest during their transition and later working with the Inclusion & Diversity team to develop the guide:
“There was no employee transition guide or defined path for transitioning at Pinterest when I told my manager I had started testosterone and would soon start using male pronouns. Yet, every single person I came out to was either cool about it or enthusiastically supportive. Feedback from everyone really amounted to, "I'm happy for you and I support you. Go for it!" From then on, the issues I encountered were solely logistic and not even related to insurance or red tape nightmarish things you might expect (thank you, People Ops!). For instance, my old legal name was already auto-saved in everyone's contacts and there wasn't a way to override it. That name also showed up on a desk move list that was sent to a whole lot of people. These are the kinds of things that, well, happen in the world outside of work too. Some of these issues will persist, but I was happy to work with the Inclusion & Diversity team on developing the Employee Transition Guide and see how far we've come as a company in supporting our current and future employees going through or considering a transition. The supportive culture was there. Now, we have something tangible that can evolve with our needs.”
We’re honored that people who are thinking about their gender identity and expression turn to Pinterest for inspiration. As we build a product focused on exploring interests and planning for the future, we’ll continue making decisions and products that are inclusive for everyone who creates and uses Pinterest around the world.