'A cis person telling a trans person about the one trans person they know or one media reference about trans people they know is harmful because it is often irrelevant to the TGNC employee, and thus communicates a lack of thoughtfulness or education on TGNC issues,' Melchert said. While you might be trying to relate to LGBTQ coworkers when you do this, it sends a bad message and can be read as lazy conversation-making.ĭale Melchert, staff attorney for the Transgender Law Center, said that for employees who are transgender and gender-nonconforming, or TGNC, these kinds of comments can be an indication that a person doesn't care about them beyond a superficial level. No, they do not want to talk about her every time you run into each other in the restroom. Yes, your coworker has probably heard of Ellen.