What people don’t know is that one of the precursors of this type of games was a woman; more specifically, a trans woman. In 1983, Danielle Bunten Berry (1949-1998), together with her team at Electronic Arts (EA), created the game M.U.L.E., one of the first multiplayer video games out there, selling 30,000 copies at the time. Perhaps, in terms of numbers, that is nothing compared to multimillion dollar games like Minecraft (238 million copies sold) or Grand Theft Auto V (more than 170 million copies sold), but Bunten Berry’s success should not be measured by sales figures, but rather by her legacy.

Danielle was a pioneer in her field. She was one of the first people to think about how much fun it would be to have multiple people playing the same game together, and she was also one of the most influential people in the professional lives of the game developers who came after her. Danielle Bunten Berry was a visionary, always one step ahead. Her legacy was so important that Will Wright, the creator of the famous game The Sims, dedicated his creation to her.

AND SHE ISN’T THE ONLY ONE

Bunten Barry, however, was not (and will not be) the only trans woman who has revolutionized the world of technology. The fact is that, although speaking of technology and women (cisgender, in this case) is still very necessary today (even we, the women responsible for this publication, have decided to create this issue to focus on some of the most important women in our industry), we mustn’t forget about one of the communities that has contributed the most to global technology; a community that has had to endure continuous oppression not only from its industry, but also from society in general: transgender women. In fact, we should talk more – much more – about them.

We can mention several trans women who have made history thanks to their contributions to technology. We can speak of Sophie Wilson (1957), a computer engineer and mathematician who designed the famous BBC micro (a computer that was part of a BBC Computer Literacy Project), one of the first prototypes of the home computer. Lynn Conway (1938), likewise, is a computer scientist, inventor, and activist who, despite all the difficulties that her transition entailed, continued working until she was able to revolutionize the rules of chip design (which, due to her contribution, became a lot simpler) and bring about swifter chip creation.

A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE

Apart from these two pioneers, who continue to make history with their projects and activism, thousands of trans women work every day to change the technological landscape in their respective areas. Many even talk about what their day-to-day life is like as workers; what it’s really like to be a trans woman working in technology.

Cassondra Foesch is a programmer and has worked at some of the world’s largest technology companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. She speaks of a curious phenomenon related to her work experience, one that she experienced first-hand while she was making her transition and active at work. According to her, “Everybody treats you differently once you’re no longer a man.” She says that when you’re a man in the technology industry, you’re always right. You’re never questioned or have to explain anything to anyone. When you present yourself to the world as a woman, however, “Being forceful and confident makes you a bitch rather than a role model.” Penelope Phippen, a woman who also works in tech, corroborates what Foesch says with her statement: “Before my transition, I was very loud and could jump into any conversation if I thought someone was wrong... and the thing is, I was effective.”

Delaney King'sstory is also similar. King is a digital character/tech artist, teacher, and writer with over 20 years of experience in the world of video games. Before introducing herself to the world as a woman, she had received numerous job offers and salaries of up to 100,000 Australian dollars (not an easy feat). That, however, changed as soon as she made her transition. As she says, “It’s absolutely striking. It’s essentially the same CV. It’s simply that the rules are different as an apparent cisgender woman.”

Although this problem is not one suffered only by trans women, these examples help us to shine a light on the misogyny that continues to exist at these technology companies today. This is something that only these women can speak of, since they are the only ones to have gone through this unique experience. In addition to this problem, misgendering (being treated as the gender with which you do not identify), problems using gender-binary bathrooms, having to come out of the closet, fear for their own safety, and deadnaming (calling someone the name they used before making their transition) – among others – continue to exist.

Debbie Ferguson is a woman who started making her transition at age 49. Right after finishing it, she decided to return, in the technology industry, to a company where she had previously worked. She says that when they gave her her laptop on the first day and assigned her an email address, her old name (or deadname) was the one that they had used for her work email address. When she complained and asked for another address, the Human Resources employee told her that it was impossible, that she’d have to continue working with her current address. “The system wasn’t designed for someone like me,” Ferguson admits.

ARE WE MAKING ANY PROGRESS?

I’m sure that we all have seen images of people working at Google, and thought how cool that would be. Tech companies look very appealing from the outside: free food, break rooms, credentials, and lots and lots of technology. However, where are these companies at in terms of inclusion?

Glassdoor (2020) published a list of the “24 best places to work for the LGBTQ+ community” and, surprisingly, the Tech industry made up 50% of the list. These companies included Google, IBM, Microsoft, PayPal, Accenture, HP, AT&T, and Apple. These companies usually have assistance (psychological help, internal committees, diversity boards, etc.) so that their employees in the community feel comfortable in their positions.

Ginger Chien, a trans rights activist who has worked as a device architect at AT&T for 25 years, says she was incredibly relieved when she was sent an internal name change request form that contained a “personal choice” option. This meant that, without the need for official documents, she could be the person she had always been in her work environment. Things as simple and easy to do as internal forms can really make a difference.

Through testimonials like the ones you just read, however, we see how technology companies (like all others) have a long road ahead of them to reach the level of inclusion that we all deserve. Although much has improved since the days of Lynn Conway and Danielle Bunten Berry, we see how gender bias continues to affect millions of women every day.

Thus, helping our female colleagues to be heard is a daily struggle. It’s necessary to understand that all experiences are different, and that we must take them all into account in order to progress and advance by leaps and bounds as far as technology (and human rights, of course) is concerned. The daily struggle consists of listening to all these women who have been silent for so many years and who have so much to say.