Throughout the year, we feature employees sharing their unique stories about their time at Ritchie Bros. In this edition, Oliver Knight, Equipment Specialist and member of the RB Pride Employee Resource Group, walks us through his journey of coming out as transgender while working at Ritchie Bros.
Starting at Ritchie Bros. at such a young age, I feel like I have grown up here.
I joined this company at age 17, and over the last seven years I have worked my way up to where I am now.
I started in sticker crew and inventory and have had experience across the gate, running my own crew in the yard, front office, and now as Junior Equipment Specialist managing multiple sales and vast interactions.
I am transgender and have been out in the company for the last 4-5 years.
As I already worked here for a few years before coming out, the long-term staff knew me as my deadname and gender, so it took some time for them to adjust. My pronouns aren’t always fully used properly, but they call me “Ollie”.
Nurturing colleagues and support from the top
Close friends and co-workers have been very kind, supportive and natural about my transition.
Before our previous Regional Operations Manager (ROM) retired, he was actually the one to get my name changed in the system, along with our current ROM Chris Bagley. I am slowly working to legalize my gender and name, and I really appreciate their efforts. It was so nice to come to work and see my chosen name updated on all of my things.
It’s always going to be a journey, but I am humbled by my colleagues each day.
Working at Ritchie’s has helped me open up and become more extroverted. I’ve met so many new people and watched my peers grow alongside me while having the opportunity to progress in my career and try many different roles.
Overall, it’s been a positive experience.
Coming out is never going to be easy
Each day the 2SLGBTQI+ community fights for our rights and equality. We are often nervous in moments where we must be vulnerable because we may not always be accepted or feel welcome.
Even coming out as bisexual can be terrifying because unfortunately in some families, even being “a little bit queer” can cause a huge stir.
Coming out as queer didn’t really surprise my family. One day I was dating a girl, then a boy, then a girl since I was 13. I was never confused about who I loved or who I was attracted to, as it just came naturally.
Regardless, I still remember the cold icy feeling and my heart rate increasing before coming out to somebody, even though I was happy and comfortable. I remember my Dad was the last one I told, and he was the most accepting and carefree when it came down to who I loved.
Despite their support of my bisexuality, coming out as transgender to my family was a whole other story and I truly thought my safety was jeopardized. Luckily nothing too drastic happened, but I did fight with my mother which was a petrifying experience to see how my life could change in a mere matter of words. It took a while for her to come around, but she now respects me, my pronouns and chosen name. Unfortunately, my father has not fully come to recognize this, and there is still an uncomfortable stiffness between us.
Simply put, being your true authentic self may come with some consequences of losing one or multiple people, but you deserve to be happy – always.
For anyone else on a similar journey, my advice is:
- Always make sure you are 100% confident in your decision and timing. Coming out in a toxic environment may be incredibly dangerous, so timing is critical.
- If you do not feel safe in your household or with the person you’re with, find someone else that understands and is able to help, such as a friend or a therapist. Your parents will often be the hardest to come out to.
- Connect with people who have been through a similar journey and do tons of research to help you learn about yourself and your feelings.
- Be confident in your actions so you know how to explain your feelings to someone who may have a hard time understanding you and your decision.
- Take a deep breath and know that in the end, you’re always going to be you and only you can decide for yourself.
Hopes and dreams for the future
I hope I can inspire at least one person and make them feel comfortable and happy. Know that you are loved, no matter what you are going through. You are not alone and you will learn to love yourself and take a leap of faith into being your true authentic self.
There is always support, and there is always someone fighting for you and your rights.
But never stop fighting for yourself because you deserve to be happy. You never have to prove yourself to anybody and you never have to look or act the way society prefers you.
National Coming Out Day every year is October 11th, it is all about celebrating coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. “Coming Out Day” was founded in 1988 by Richard Eichberg, a psychologist and Jean O’Leary, a gay rights activist, to raise awareness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and its civil rights movement.
They chose October 11th to mark the anniversary of the second major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which took place in 1987.
Being queer isn’t something new, nor hasn’t been this recent when it comes to fighting for rights. Times long before ours and our parents and grandparents people have existed as queer, it is only fairly recent there has been more labels and flags and different words and new ways to learn. New and different scares people unfortunately, we only wish to teach, and live along side and exist peacefully in the world – but even so our fight for equal rights continue and will so for generations to come.
I am humbled and appreciative of the support that Ritchie Bros. has provided to me, and the little things that they have done to make my transition at my work place easier.
I would love for everyone to pass this love and kindness forward, because even a simple gesture or support can go a long way. Love, be kind, be free.