‘If Businesses Exclude Us, They Will Lose Us’: Why Trans Inclusion Is a Test of Corporate Integrity

This exclusive interview with Sabah Choudrey was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.

Sabah Choudrey is an award-winning British Muslim LGBTQIA+ and POC activist, consultant, author and race & minority ethnic speaker.

They co-founded Trans Pride Brighton, the first Trans Pride event in the UK, and Colours Youth Network, which supports LGBTQIA+ young people of colour. Sabah is also the author of Supporting Trans People of Colour and was named on the Diversity Power List 2024/25 and the Attitude 101: 2026 Trailblazers list.

In this exclusive interview with the Diversity & Inclusion Speakers Agency, Sabah examines why uncertainty still shapes corporate responses to trans inclusion, how intersectionality strengthens psychological safety and belonging, and what separates genuine allyship from a short-lived campaign.

Question 1. How should businesses navigate uncertainty around trans inclusion while remaining consistent with their organisational values?

Sabah Choudrey: “There’s a lot of misinformation about the trans community and therefore about what trans inclusion means, what it means to include us as a community, because we’re not understood.

“There’s a lot of assumptions about who we are, what we do and what we need. For businesses, it creates a lot of fear about what it means to include trans people.

“I’ve experienced fear of repercussions as well for businesses to do trans inclusion, especially with all the changes with the Equality Act. That builds to the fear: “Oh, we don’t know what’s happening. Does it mean this? Does it mean that?”

“The Equality Act being unclear is an issue, but businesses need to remember that trans people are also a part of their company, whether they know it or not.

“We’re a part of their following, the people that they work with; we use their services. It’s important to remember that, as trans people, we’re also paying attention to what businesses do, how they respond to changes in legislation or to different kinds of global events. If businesses exclude us, they will lose us.

“There’s also a misunderstanding that trans inclusion doesn’t affect everyone, that trans inclusion only affects trans people, which isn’t true.

“Even with the recent changes around the Equality Act and a lot of businesses and services excluding trans people from spaces, it’s setting up a policing of people, especially around women and women’s bodies, women’s expression around femininity.

“I’ve heard from a lot of my friends who aren’t trans, who are women, who are cis women of different gender expression, and they’re receiving the same hostility as trans people. So trans exclusion is affecting everyone. It’s not about gender, it’s about expression, and that is something that affects us all.

“For businesses, it’s important that you think about your company values, your ethos, what you stand for, and ask yourself, “Am I a business with integrity?”

“I’ve worked with companies who are figuring this out. They’re doing this either with me, alongside their LGBTQ staff networks or with their trans clients and members.

“It is as simple as saying, “Hey, so these are the changes happening in the law, in the legislation. Either, ‘We’re not sure what it means,’ or, ‘We’re going to try and figure this out in a way that still ensures we’re sticking to our values of inclusion, of accepting everyone. We’re standing by you and we’re not going to react. We’re going to pause and then we’re going to respond intentionally.’”

Question 2. What is the business case for intersectional inclusion, and how does it strengthen psychological safety and belonging at work?

Sabah Choudrey: “Diversity is better for business. That is a fact.

“There are increased opportunities for learning around diversity because you create a chance for people to be creative, to be innovative. You have people from different backgrounds, different lived experiences. You’re going to get different and unique perspectives around problem solving, around different ideas.

“Another reason is you create a more inclusive and safe environment for people to speak their minds, to feel safe. Feeling safe at work is really important.

“It’s something that gets overlooked a lot, but when you feel safe at work, you trust your employee, you trust your colleagues, you trust in the workplace. That’s important, especially when there are things like changes at work or navigating any kind of uncertainty.

“That safety and that trust is going to be important for you to be able to have a better workplace and for your colleagues, for your staff to feel like they belong and have a place there.

“Belonging is another reason as well. Feeling like you belong somewhere is hugely important. I say that as someone who I feel really lucky to be part of trans communities, part of the South Asian queer community, because I have a feeling I belong, and I don’t think everyone really gets that.

“I feel like workplaces can do so much more to make people feel like they belong. It’s not just about tick boxes. It’s about showing that, “Hey, we see you as more than just your job title. This is actually a place for you.”

“These things are really overlooked by companies, by businesses: safety, belonging and inclusion are important.”

Question 3. What practical questions should organisations ask to ensure LGBTQ+ initiatives are community-led rather than performative?

Sabah Choudrey: “If a company’s asking themselves how to support LGBTQ employees without it looking like performative allyship, that’s already solving the problem.

“There’s an awareness of what we are doing, how it could come across and how it could impact LGBTQ staff. It’s a really great first step.

“I wrote about this in my book, Supporting Trans of Color: How to Make Your Practice Inclusive. I have a few questions that are really helpful to figure out whether this is falling into performative allyship or not being genuine or helpful.

“The first question to ask yourself is: what is the intention when taking part in an action or a campaign?

“That answer will help you shape what the campaign looks like and who it’s for. You’ll know then if you’re taking part in this just to look like an ally without doing the work of being an ally.

“The next question is to ask who is taking part. You need to take note of the people who are leading that campaign. Who is really the driving force behind it?

“Actions need to be led by the people they affect and represent, and they’re driven by the people with that lived experience. Do it with LGBTQ staff and your ERGs, and don’t do it alone either.

“The next question is: what does the community need?

“If you reflected on your intentions and you have the LGBTQ network leading and heading a campaign, go back to consultation and make sure you’ve asked directly and explicitly because, for example, the trans community will always know what the trans community needs. So ask.

“The next thing is to ask, “Okay, so we’re doing this now. What can we actually do for the community? What is part of my resource? What is part of my power to do something for community?”

“Understanding your privilege is a really great prerequisite to this question. It’s about knowing that truth power, the true influence and capacity that we have on that organisational level and on that individual level as well.

“The last question is: what are we prepared to do next?

“Intentions matter and speak volumes, but actions are louder. A campaign needs to be more than just taking part. Our community exists beyond one day, one week or a month of awareness raising. A community is going to need you way beyond that, too.”