Abstract
The inclusion of transgender women teachers as human beings with rights and privileges deserves respect and equality in their workplace and the community they belong. In the literature, limited studies explore the lives of transgender women in the workplace as this requires careful exploration of their encounters due to their sensitive disposition. This study aspires to deeply understand the personal experiences of the participants on a certain phenomenon such as the inclusion of Transgender women teachers in the Department of Education (DepEd) Guihulngan City Division. This study utilized Heideggerian phenomenology as a research design anchoring the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) popularized by Moustakas and modified by Van Kaam. Three (3) participants saturated the data in the research environment. Inclusive and Exclusive Criteria were established in the study using a snowball-purposive sampling technique. After the analysis, the emerging themes were generated such as the darkest reality, Towards complete acceptance, Favorable Professional Reception, and Women that Matter. These themes provide a clear picture of how transgender women are living their lives in the department. The main issue faced by Transgender women teachers is the question of labeling. Thus, Transgender women teachers must carry on their duties and responsibilities and improve their personal and professional growth to enhance learners’ capability in learning amidst the issue regarding their preferences.
