Hiring Queer and Trans Designers, Part 1
Original image by Andra C Taylor Jr on Unsplash
Careers grow in environments where people feel they belong. For queer and transgender designers, that sense of belonging often comes from community spaces that affirm identity, share opportunity, and make room for people to show up fully. Yet for many, the pathways into the broader industry have been obscured, fragmented, or held within small pockets of community.
We also recognise that not everyone wants to be visible publicly. Safety, trust, and self-determination matter, and sometimes visibility becomes possible only when people feel the environment can hold them. Creating that safety is part of the work.
Great design is built on systems that work, and hiring is no different. When a hiring ecosystem doesn’t surface queer and transgender designers, the issue isn’t talent, it’s the system. This resource brings together trusted platforms created by and for LGBTQIA+ designers, offering teams a practical entry point to hire with more clarity and care. Better systems create better futures, and we’re committed to both.
In part 1, you’ll find directories for queer and trans designers, job boards geared toward LBGTQ+ candidates, and resources for queer talent in the industry.
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for Part 2, where we’ll dive deeper into perspectives from queer creatives in the workforce, considerations and best practices for hiring managers, and more. For any additions to the list, we welcome your email to hello@goodmaven.com.
Directories
Queer Creatives Community Directory
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1wVeTJqrzetRUryrJUN8Ep93Kb-Kf7e_A7fIT-iuLTVo/htmlview#gid=177453409
Job Boards
LGBT (Global)
https://lgbt.net/jobs/TechFutures / LWT Summit Profile (US)
https://profile.lwtsquad.com/Proud Employers (UK)
https://www.proudemployers.org.uk/Out Professionals Job Board (US)
https://outprofessionals.org/jobs/LGBT Jobs UK (UK)
https://www.lgbtjobs.co.uk/
Resources
LWT (Global)
https://lwtsquad.com/
Lesbians Who Tech & Allies is a massive global community with events, a yearly conference, and online groups.ILGA-Europe (Europe / UK)
https://www.ilga-europe.org/
Network of 700+ LGBTI orgs across Europe/Central Asia.Stonewall (UK)
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/
UK LGBTQ+ rights org with employer programs, inclusion resources, and strong community credibility.TransTech Social Enterprises (US)
https://transtechsocial.org/
Trans-focused economic empowerment organization offering community spaces, resources, and an annual summit.Queer AF (UK)
https://www.wearequeeraf.com/
UK LGBTQ+ creative platform/newsletter featuring queer talent, mentoring, and opportunity sharing.Transpire Talent (UK)
https://transpiretalent.com/
UK trans-led recruitment agency helping inclusive employers hire trans/nb talent, including creatives and tech roles.Queer Professionals UK
https://queerprofessionalsuk.com/
Events and networking for LGBTQ+ professionals across the UK.
