HSBC introduces 10 new gender-neutral pronouns to help trans and non-binary customers
Banking giant HSBC is set to help trans and non-binary people more than ever before, to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility.
The British bank will introduce ten new gender-neutral titles for customers, who will be able to choose Mx, Ind, M, Mre, Msr, Myr, Pr, Sai, Ser or Misc, if they wish.
Anyone who banks with HSBC will also be able to more easily and quickly change the gender on their accounts.
Customers can bring in a passport, driving license or birth certificate as documentation of the change, while a gender recognition certificate or medical letter are also accepted.
HSBC made it onto Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers list for 2017, though at number 87, it fell way behind rival bank Lloyds, which came first in the rankings.
A spokesperson for the bank promised that the move “has been supported by training for all branch and contact centre staff that aims at helping HSBC UK employees understand the issues experienced by transgender customers.”
Stuart Barette, trans lead of HSBC Pride, the bank’s LGBT+ employee network, said: “On the day that I went into the branch to change my name and my gender I was terrified, to be honest.
“Coming out to anyone is difficult, as you don’t know people are going to react.
“That’s why the changes we’ve been making are so important, so that our trans customers can feel confident that they’re going to have a good experience and be speaking with someone who has been trained to better understand them.”
Stuart Haire, UK head of retail, said the changes were “part of a broader priority for us to ensure our products and services are relevant for the unique financial needs of all of our customers.
“We want everyone to be able to access simple and smart banking solutions that work for them, and we will continue working with our LGBT+ colleagues and customers to ensure we’re getting it right.”
