What do Transgender Software Professionals say about a Career in the Software Industry?

Abstract

Diversity is an essential aspect of software development because technology influences almost every aspect of modern society, and if the software industry lacks diversity, software products might unintentionally constrain groups of individuals instead of promoting an equalitarian experience to all. In this study, we investigate the perspectives of transgender software professionals about a career in software engineering as one of the aspects of diversity in the software industry. Our findings demonstrate that, on the one hand, trans people choose careers in software engineering for two primary reasons: a) even though software development environments are not exempt from discrimination, the software industry is safer than other industries for transgenders; b) trans people occasionally have to deal with gender dysphoria, anxiety, and fear of judgment, and the work flexibility offered by software companies allow them to cope with these issues more efficiently.