Skip to content

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some are essential to make our site work; others help us improve the user experience. By using the site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Read our privacy policy to learn more.

Close
AICPA-CIMA
  • AICPA & CIMA:
  • Home
  • CPE & Learning
  • My Account
Journal of Accountancy
  • TECH & AI
    • All articles
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Information Security & Privacy

    Latest Stories

    • Incorporating prompt engineering into the accounting curriculum
    • Create a dynamic to-do list with Excel’s checkboxes
    • Another way to manage authentication texts
  • TAX
    • All articles
    • Corporations
    • Employee benefits
    • Individuals
    • IRS procedure

    Latest Stories

    • Paper tax refund checks on the way out as IRS shifts to electronic payments
    • IRS keeps per diem rates unchanged for business travel year starting Oct. 1
    • Details on IRS prop. regs. on tip income deduction
  • PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
    • All articles
    • Diversity, equity & inclusion
    • Human capital
    • Firm operations
    • Practice growth & client service

    Latest Stories

    • Paper tax refund checks on the way out as IRS shifts to electronic payments
    • Practice mobility update: New NASBA tool tracks changes for CPAs
    • IRS keeps per diem rates unchanged for business travel year starting Oct. 1
  • FINANCIAL REPORTING
    • All articles
    • FASB reporting
    • IFRS
    • Private company reporting
    • SEC compliance and reporting

    Latest Stories

    • SEC accepting Professional Accounting Fellow applications
    • SEC names new chief accountant
    • SEC ends legal defense of its climate rules
  • AUDIT
    • All articles
    • Attestation
    • Audit
    • Compilation and review
    • Peer review
    • Quality Management

    Latest Stories

    • AICPA unveils new QM resources to help firms meet Dec. 15 deadline
    • 8 steps to build your firm’s quality management system on time
    • Auditing Standards Board proposes a new fraud standard
  • MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING
    • All articles
    • Business planning
    • Human resources
    • Risk management
    • Strategy

    Latest Stories

    • Business outlook brightens somewhat despite trade, inflation concerns
    • AICPA & CIMA Business Resilience Toolkit — levers for action
    • Economic pessimism grows, but CFOs have strategic responses
  • Home
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Podcast
  • Topics
Advertisement
  1. newsletter
  2. Cpa Insider
CPA INSIDER

When a colleague announces they’re transgender

As more people feel comfortable coming out publicly, workplaces, including accounting firms, may encounter questions about how to support employees.

By Sarah Ovaska-Few
June 18, 2018

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2018. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

Related

June 4, 2018

Use inclusion to make your firm stronger

May 21, 2018

How to make women’s initiatives more successful

May 1, 2018

Customizing talent development

TOPICS

  • Firm Practice Management
    • Human Capital
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Coming out as transgender at her current job was a terrifying experience for Rebecca DuPree, CPA.

But when she informed the human resources department and her supervisors at the Harris County Auditor’s Office in Houston last year that she would be legally leaving behind the name John — the male name she was given at birth — and legally changing her gender marker to female and her name to Rebecca, she felt welcomed.

“All were very supportive,” said DuPree, manager for continuous audit.

The transgender, or trans, community is in the public eye more than ever, in large part because of the high-profile careers of people such as Laverne Cox and Chaz Bono, as well as reality television star and former U.S. Olympian Caitlyn Jenner’s 2015 announcement that she would live as a woman. Debate over legislating the use of public restrooms by transgender individuals has also highlighted policy issues.

As more people feel comfortable coming out publicly, workplaces, including accounting firms, are likely to encounter questions. Here’s some information that may help.

Adjust policies

The legal landscape is far from settled when it comes to gender-identity rights, with several federal court cases pending.

Advertisement

But many workplaces have pushed forth with their own protections, something that PwC opted to do in recent years, for example. The firm contacted the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a national LGBTQ advocacy group headquartered in Washington, about how it could adopt policies that were open and welcoming to transgender individuals, said Jennifer Allyn, a diversity strategy leader at PwC.

HRC offers resources to companies about making workplaces trans-friendly. PwC adopted many of the suggestions, including adding gender identity as a protected group in its global code of conduct and covering gender reassignment treatments in firm health care plans. The firm also adopted inclusivity guidelines that stated staff could use the gendered bathroom of their choosing.

Treating your transgender colleagues the same as everyone else is a key part of offering support in the workplace, said Beck Bailey, deputy director of HRC’s workplace equality program.

It’s also important to stick to workplace norms when it comes to asking personal questions. If you have an acquaintance at work who is transgender, don’t ask them if they’ve had gender assignment surgeries or are taking hormones.

“Treat us as you would treat any other colleague,” DuPree said.

Learning more

Though you may be curious about what being transgender entails, don’t expect your newly transitioned colleague to give a class on Transgender 101, Bailey said. Instead, he recommended seeking out information at local LGBTQ centers or at groups like HRC or PFLAG.

Advertisement

“Don’t necessarily put the burden of all that education on your friend and colleague,” Bailey said.

Workplaces can also step up and offer their own informational sessions, something that PwC did when a staff member in one of its offices transitioned from female to male.

The firm brought in an expert to talk with the team the individual worked with, and hosted a meeting where people could ask questions without fear of offending or alienating the trans colleague.

Pronoun preference

Pronoun preference is one major way people can indicate their gender preference. In some environments, people are taking the step of introducing themselves by stating their pronoun preference (he/him/his, she/her/hers, or they/them/theirs for an individual).

Some corporate environments are following suit, with people including their preferred pronouns on email signature lines or business cards, Bailey said. When you are in doubt, he recommended, politely ask what pronouns a person wants to use.

Showing support

Advertisement

Finally, it’s important to simply acknowledge when a person comes out as transgender, Bailey said.

It can be as simple as saying “‘I support you but I am not always sure exactly how to be supportive. Can you tell me how I can help?’,” he said.

DuPree said she felt supported when one of her bosses stopped by DuPree’s office prior to her transition and told her she accepted and supported her completely. The women in her office also took her out to lunch when she returned to work after legally changing her name, a gesture that left DuPree feeling accepted.

DuPree realizes her announcement was a big change for her colleagues. For the most part, she said, things have gone smoothly. She uses the women’s room without issues, and most of her officemates quickly adjusted to the change.

“I’m working with people that probably never knew a transgender person previously,” she said. “I hope I’m turning around some of the fears.”

Sarah Ovaska-Few is a freelance writer based in North Carolina. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Chris Baysden, associate director – content development, at Chris.Baysden@aicpa-cima.com.

Advertisement

latest news

September 24, 2025

Paper tax refund checks on the way out as IRS shifts to electronic payments

September 24, 2025

Practice mobility update: New NASBA tool tracks changes for CPAs

September 23, 2025

IRS keeps per diem rates unchanged for business travel year starting Oct. 1

September 22, 2025

Managing teams, managing time: The importance of setting expectations

September 19, 2025

Details on IRS prop. regs. on tip income deduction

Advertisement

Most Read

MAP Survey finds CPA firm starting pay on the rise
IRS finalizes regulations for Roth catch-up contributions under SECURE 2.0
NASBA, AICPA release proposed revisions to CPE standards
Congress passes act allowing tax relief when a state declares disaster
IRS releases draft form for tip, overtime, car loan, and senior deductions
Advertisement

Podcast

September 25, 2025

Professional liability risks related to Form 1065, CPA firm acquisitions

September 18, 2025

‘We’re still the thinkers’ — a reminder for tax pros in the AI era

September 11, 2025

Strong storytelling helps speakers deliver ‘medicine’ without the aftertaste

Features

Calming nervous clients nearing retirement
Calming nervous clients nearing retirement

Calming nervous clients nearing retirement

7 retirement tips for small firm CPAs
7 retirement tips for small firm CPAs

7 retirement tips for small firm CPAs

Building a better CPA firm: Stepping up service offerings
Multi-colored plus signs

Building a better CPA firm: Stepping up service offerings

2025 tax software survey
Smiley, frowney, and neutral faces for Tax Software Survey.

2025 tax software survey

FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Flip out with the latest Tech Q&A

The September Technology Q&A column shows how to create dynamic to-do lists with Excel's checkboxes and also how to set up multifactor authentication texts that don't rely on phones. Flip through both items and view a video walkthrough in our digital format. 

From The Tax Adviser

August 30, 2025

2025 tax software survey

August 30, 2025

Are you doing all you can to keep the cash method for your clients?

July 31, 2025

Current developments in S corporations

July 31, 2025

Paid student-athletes: Tax implications for universities and donors

MAGAZINE

September 2025

September 2025

September 2025
August 2025

August 2025

August 2025
July 2025

July 2025

July 2025
June 2025

June 2025

June 2025
May 2025

May 2025

May 2025
April 2025

April 2025

April 2025
March 2025

March 2025

March 2025
February 2025

February 2025

February 2025
January 2025

January 2025

January 2025
December 2024

December 2024

December 2024
November 2024

November 2024

November 2024
October 2024

October 2024

October 2024
view all

View All

http://JofA_Default_Mag_cover_small_official_blue

PUSH NOTIFICATIONS

Coming soon: Learn about important news

CPA LETTER DAILY EMAIL

CPA Letter Logo

Subscribe to the daily CPA Letter

Stay on top of the biggest news affecting the profession every business day. Follow this link to your marketing preferences on aicpa-cima.com to subscribe. If you don't already have an aicpa-cima.com account, create one for free and then navigate to your marketing preferences.

Connect

  • X Logo JofA on X
  • facebook JofA on Facebook

HOME

  • News
  • Monthly issues
  • Podcast
  • A&A Focus
  • PFP Digest
  • Academic Update
  • Topics
  • RSS feed rss feed
  • Site map

ABOUT

  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Submit an article
  • Editorial calendar
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & conditions

SUBSCRIBE

  • Academic Update
  • CPE Express

AICPA & CIMA SITES

  • AICPA-CIMA.com
  • Global Engagement Center
  • Financial Management (FM)
  • The Tax Adviser
  • AICPA Insights
  • Global Career Hub
AICPA & CIMA

© 2025 Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. All rights reserved.

Reliable. Resourceful. Respected.