Trans and gender diverse (TGD) people’s gender identities and expressions do not conform to the gender/sex they were assigned at birth. They experience discrimination and exclusion in various areas of life. However, in recent years, progress has been made: legislation has become more inclusive, and TGD people have gained greater visibility in public discourse. Heightened visibility can, on one hand, normalize gender diversity and help advance the rights of gender minorities; on the other, it can make TGD people more vulnerable to backlash and discrimination. Thus, this thesis examines TGD people’s visibility in two areas: the media and the workplaces. The ultimate goal is to foster a better understanding of media influences and workplace discriminations, which could lead to more equitable treatment of TGD people both in the job market and in society.

Study I analyzed the way TGD people are represented in news media across three countries with different levels of legal protection and social acceptance of gender minorities: Italy, the UK, and Sweden. Through content analyses, I compared online news media headlines and analyzed the valence and roles TGD people are depicted in. Across all countries, trans women were more salient than trans men and gender diverse people. More TGD-inclusive countries featured more progressive representations of TGD people (such as headlines with neutral valence and less representations of discrimination and violence against TGD people). These findings highlight the way media reflect and potentially shape societal attitudes through varying degrees of positive and negative valence.

Study II investigated how positive and negative valence of news media TGD representations influenced attitudes toward them. Across two experimental studies, participants read articles on TGD issues with manipulated valence (positive, negative, neutral) and indicated their cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes toward gender minorities. Both studies found an effect of the articles’ valence mediated by the feelings that participants experienced when reading the articles. In Study 1, positive representations led to increased positive feelings, which in turn enhanced positive cognitive attitudes toward TGD people. In Study 2, negative representations directly worsened cognitive and affective attitudes toward TGD people; higher positive feelings were linked to more positive cognitive, behavioral, and affective attitudes, whilehigher negative feelings were linked to more negative affective attitudes. This study showed that the valence of TGD media representations can influence attitudes toward them, especially through the effect of feelings.

Study III tested whether trans women and men with varying degrees of cis-gender-typical appearance (i.e., appearance that conforms to norms dictating how women and men should look like) would differ in perceived hireability. Participants with recruiting experience evaluated trans job applicants based on their CVs. The findings revealed that trans men were perceived as more hirable than trans women, regardless of their conformity to cisgender norms. Cis typicality only mattered for women, such that a cis-typical woman was rated as more attractive and thus more hirable, whereas a less cis-typical woman was perceived as unattractive and thus less hirable. Thus, trans women and trans men were perceived as hirable in different levels. These results suggest that gender identity, cisgender typicality, and attractiveness interact in influencing hiring decisions toward trans people, with trans women facing particular disadvantages when deviating from cis-typical appearance norms.

Study IV addressed the challenges of collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data within professional environments by exploring the balance between promoting inclusivity and safeguarding individuals from potential harm. While SOGI data collection has advantages, such as enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and increasing the visibility of LGBTQIA+ employees, it also comes with significant challenges, including risks of discrimination, privacy concerns, and the issues of quantifying queerness. The article aims to be a guide for practitioners and researchers who collect SOGI data, so they can adopt a thoughtful approach that balances inclusivity and equity with the need to safeguard privacy and prevent harm. The study emphasizes the importance of considering the purpose, language, and cultural context of data collection, involving LGBTQIA+ stakeholders and employing a nuanced approach.