It’s been 10 years since TransFocus first stepped into the field of making workplaces safer and more supportive for trans and non-binary people. Reaching that milestone has been so exciting, and it’s left us feeling deeply proud of what we’ve been able to build over the past decade.

In that time, we’ve educated more than 35,000 professionals, conducted research with over 17,000 participants, and worked with more than 500 organizations across public, private, and non-profit sectors. As we hit this anniversary, we wanted to step back and really understand what this work has made possible, not just in intention, but in real, lived outcomes.

Last year, we reached out to current and past clients and invited them to reflect on their experience of working with TransFocus. They completed surveys and took part in interviews, sharing what had changed in their organizations since beginning this work with us. The findings told a rich story about what happens when inclusion moves from intention into practice, but one insight in particular stood out for how clearly it captured the heart of that story:

Among those who were aware of the impact on their staff, 82% reported that one or more trans and non-binary employees felt safe enough to come out at work as a result of TransFocus’ involvement.

That figure is deeply moving, not because it suggests more trans people suddenly appeared in these workplaces, but because it shows what happens when environments change. Nearly half of the people who responded said that they had implemented all, or most, of the changes we recommended, and another 24% reported implementing several of our suggestions. The result? More people feel like they can show up as their true selves when they go to work. When culture shifts and the structures are there to support it, people who previously felt unsafe or unsure no longer feel like they have to hide who they are at work. This is what meaningful change can look like: organizations taking action in tangible ways that build trust, reduce risk and create the conditions for trans and non-binary people to be seen and supported.

In our last blog, we wrote about a common question we hear in this field: “If there aren’t any trans employees working here, why make changes?” This data is exactly why that framing falls short. A workplace with no visible trans employees is not necessarily a workplace without trans people. Often, it is simply a workplace where coming out does not feel safe. Coming out at work is an ongoing process shaped by constant risk assessment: how will this be received, will it affect my career, will my colleagues treat me differently, will my identity be respected in systems and in everyday interactions? There is a profound difference between being tolerated and being genuinely welcomed, and that difference is felt not just in culture, but in policies, systems, structures, and physical spaces.

Seeing 82% of respondents report that more trans and non-binary people felt able to come out after TransFocus’ involvement tells us that those details really mattered and that when the culture and structures of an organization begin to reflect the reality of gender diversity, workplaces stop being places people have to brace themselves against.

That ripple effect reaches far beyond gender. Through the education we have provided, 86.7% of organizations told us that their teams developed a deeper understanding of gender diversity. Clients told us that teams felt steadier, that tricky moments were easier to navigate, and that fewer situations spiralled into conflict simply because people knew what to do and where to turn. Workplaces became more flexible and more workable for everyone in them, not because everything was suddenly perfect, but because the ground felt more solid underfoot.

Above all, this work only happens because organizations are willing to look closely at how they function and to sit with some uncertainty along the way. We’re invited into real, complex workplaces and asked to help make them fit better for the people inside them. Seeing what that makes possible - people feeling safer, systems becoming more inclusive, and more trans and non-binary people feeling able to show up as themselves at work if and when they want to - is what gives this work its meaning. We’re so grateful to everyone who has partnered with us over the past ten years for trusting us in that process.

If this resonates, our newsletter is where we continue these conversations. We share reflections from our work, research insights, free resources and practical tools as our work keeps evolving. You’re welcome to join us!

After Ten Years, This Is What We Know About Belonging at Work