TWU Member stories
AT HOME BEHIND THE WHEEL
Leece, a 67-year-old transport worker, spent over 40 years in the transport industry, spending most of her time transporting dangerous goods. Leece was born in a male body, however, in the early 70’s, Leece discovered that she was experiencing gender identity issues, feeling as if she is a woman trapped inside a man’s body.
“I thought I must be the only one in the world that felt like that,” Leece told us. In an already isolating industry, working long hours alone in a truck, her journey toward self-understanding was painfully lonely—fearing speaking out on what she was going through. “Why me? Why was I born this way?” she often asked herself. Her mental health suffered as she wrestled with her identity in silence, feeling as though life had played a cruel joke on her.
As a trans woman in a male-dominated industry, Leece faced many forms of discrimination just because of who she is. Despite Leece’s years of experience, she was often overlooked for permanent roles and training opportunities. “People with less experience, even just HR licences, were trained and hired full-time,” she said. “But not me.”
“I loved the transport industry, even when they hated me,” Leece explained. “It feels like home.” Leece understood that being open about her gender identity would have negative impacts on the way she was treated at work, but she was willing to accept that because she loved what she did. “I put up with heaps of drivers not talking to me, or talking behind my back. But that’s fine. Why should I give up a job I love, no matter what others think of me,” she said.
Despite the challenges she faced, Leece still found positives in the transport industry. In recent years, she connected with support groups and made it her mission to help others by sharing her story. “I just want to encourage others out there like me to come out and stay in the transport industry, not disappear,” she said.
Today Leece stands proud of who she is and as a voice for visibility and change. Leece’s story is a reminder that the transport industry is so diverse and welcomes people of all walks of life.