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Head of trans inclusion at Stonewall, Bex Stinson, says she now feels her workplace is supportive of her gender identity. But it hasn't always been this way.

Here, she tells Sky News about the abuse and discrimination she has suffered in work.

When I worked in retail, my daily work wasn't just made up of counting money at the till and customers complaining about prices and sizes: the normal frustrations of working in retail.

I also had to get used to the regular abuse and violent threats I got on an almost daily basis from customers and from my own colleagues.

Why?

Because I'm a trans woman.

The people I was working with and helping were angry and hateful towards me, just because of who I am.

I would love to be able to tell you that the abuse and discrimination I experienced working in a store was unique and never happened again after I changed jobs. But if I told you that, I would be lying.

The reality of what it's like to be a trans person at work is often difficult and painful. Work should be a safe space, but that is often not the case for trans people.

Throughout my career, I've had co-workers constantly question me about my identity and even ask for pretty explicit details about what surgeries I've had done.

I cannot imagine a situation where those kinds of questions would be seen as appropriate to ask anyone else, but being trans is seen as a green light for a free-for-all.

On numerous occasions, transphobic words and language like "tranny" or "he-she" were used around me and no one said a thing. It was just dismissed as harmless "banter".

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Even when I was training to become a barrister I found myself standing in front of a judge who openly mocked me for my appearance while I was transitioning.

Then there was the solicitor who refused to use "she/her" to refer to me, deliberately giving me the wrong gender.

I am a strong person, but the impact of this sustained abuse on me, as a human being, was devastating. If you've been bullied or faced abuse because of something about you that you can't change (and wouldn't want to), you'll know how that feels.

Luckily, I'm now working in an organisation that's proudly committed to supporting trans and non-binary staff, like me.

When I'm at work, I can be open about my gender identity, wear clothes that reflect my gender expression and I'm referred to by the correct pronouns.

I no longer have the same fear and anxieties about being judged or harassed for being trans when I'm at work.

Gender-neutral facilities are available and staff at all levels of the organisation are dedicated to confronting transphobia and learning how to be better allies to the trans community.

All of this helps me, and other trans members of staff, feel free to be ourselves and promotes acceptance among staff who don't identify as trans.

And Stonewall's not the only one. Big names like Lloyds Banking Group, EY and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have joined our Trans Allies Programme to tackle discrimination against trans people in the workplace.

Stonewall research shows that more than half of trans staff (51%) deliberately hide their identity because they fear being discriminated against at work and one in eight (12%) have been physically attacked at work.

It's a lot to deal with. But one thing that can really help is having visible allies around at work, who accept you for who you are.

What do I mean by allies? Allies are people who will listen to trans people, learn about their experiences and know to speak out against transphobic bullying whenever they need it.

Do trans people really need allies?

Trans people in Britain face huge levels of abuse and inequality right now, and need the support of vocal allies to challenge the hate we face in all areas of our lives.

If we want to live in a world where nobody faces the kind of harassment and discrimination that I did, allies need to be active parts of the solution. Only by working together can we bring forward the day where everyone is accepted without exception at work.