After earning a degree in psychology, Noreen Buckley tried to work in corporate America but couldn’t stomach the monotony or how hard she had to fight just to receive low wages. She knew she needed to make a change — so she wrote out a pros and cons list that detailed what she wanted her career to look like.
She wanted a job where she could wear jeans and a hat every day, get the sleep she wants, work with her hands and with numbers, and develop skills no one could ever take away from her.
She decided to become an electrician, but it was hard for her to break into her field because she didn’t know where to start. This is a common problem for women and LGBTQ+ people, who often lack mentors in the industry or knowledge about schooling and job opportunities. Buckley took community college classes then worked for a friend before joining a union — but, she underlined, there are many options and no one path is right or best for everyone.
That’s why she’s been participating in a grassroots effort to share information with women and LGBTQ+ people who are interested in joining the trades.
“The underlying motivation is just empowering our community,” Buckley said, who wants marginalized people to make informed decisions about their futures and feel less alone in that decision-making process. “We have to take care of ourselves, because nobody else is doing it.”
One of the events she’s helping to host, Women & Queers in Trades Career Day, will take place at Next Fab — a makerspace in Northeast Philly — on April 30. Attendees will hear from tradespeople in a variety of careers — including construction, manufacturing and automotive professionals — and have an opportunity to ask questions. The gathering isn’t just for newbies — as professionals will be able to mingle, network, and find their own support systems too.
Many LGBTQ+ people and women don’t realize how many different types of careers they could pursue in the trades, Buckley explained.
“I kind of had to fumble my way into it by happenstance, and it was never presented to me as a legitimate option,” said Tyr Avellino about how they found a career in welding — which they enjoy because it’s full of puzzles and also because it’s fun to melt stuff with fire.
Even though Laura Smarrito, who is now a carpenter, spent her teens watching “This Old House” and researching the best ways to build her backyard fort, she was guided toward art rather than trades work when it came time to talk about careers. She thinks this would have been different if she were a boy — and she was even turned down from apprenticeships and early jobs by business owners who openly stated that they won’t hire women.
She found her own path — fixing up trashed furniture and teaching herself the trade — before a man eventually gave her a shot in the field. Now she works at the Independence Seaport Museum in the boat shop. She enjoys the problem-solving and creative aspects of her work, the variety of the projects, and being physical.
“I just want people to know what the options are for them,” said Smarrito, who didn’t always know she could become a carpenter and wishes she would have. “I want to let people know that there’s a lot of room for different types of thinkers and different types of people in these professions.”
But even people who find routes into their chosen professions find challenges once they’re working in the field.
Avellino, who is nonbinary and transmasculine, said their gender and pronouns haven’t always been treated with respect in their workplaces — and that’s sometimes crossed a line into harassment. Even in jobs with a more positive atmosphere, they feel pressured to perform masculinity.
Buckley said she’s often the only woman or queer person on job sites, and while those spaces aren’t often overtly homophobic or sexist anymore — in the sense that people are less likely to use slurs or refuse to work with LGBTQ+ people or women, Buckley said people in the industry tend to be less aware of the experiences of marginalized people and might not proactively learn how to treat others with respect. She doesn’t often talk much about her queer identity in those spaces because it would require her to educate others — something she doesn’t have time or energy for during the work day.
Microaggressions can also make these kinds of job sites less safe or comfortable for people with marginalized experiences. Buckley explained sometimes women are infantilized or overlooked for opportunities and gay jokes are inescapable. Furthermore, pronouns might be disrespected or ignored, assumptions might be made about people’s personal lives, and a straight guy might make a quick quip about not being gay.
“It’s the culture, and it’s subtle,” she said. “It’s not always in your face and it’s not directly threatening. But it’s consistent, and it’s constantly there under the surface.”
Affinity groups — which are more available in unions but might not be part of a culture at smaller companies — can help alleviate feelings of isolation in the middle of negative experiences. Buckley and Avellino participate in a Signal group chat — Queer Tradespeople PHL — where LGBTQ+ Philadelphians who work in the trades offer support to each other. But people need to know those spaces exist to utilize them.
One of the difficulties Avellino has encountered working as an installer or out in the field happens when meeting customers rather than professionals, who may or may not be understanding or accepting of trans people. Working behind the scenes in a shop has been a better experience for them. They also pursue artistic welding projects independently. Finding the right roles has taken trial and error — which might not have been the case if they’d had access to a support system to help them navigate the job landscape sooner.
“It’s also less scary than you think,” said Avellino, noting that some people — including “gruff old dudes” — have also surprised them with their kindness and support too.
Smarrito, who has also dealt with problematic expectations placed on women and LGBTQ+ people in the field, doesn’t want those interested in these careers to self-select themselves out of the running just because they fear that the trades won’t be welcoming. It’s true, she said, that there are problems — but there’s a lot of freedom to create a personalized approach or start a business too. For instance, she’s hired her own crews — which are mostly women.
Events like the upcoming Women & Queers in Trades Career Day help the trades become more accessible to people who aren’t cis-het white men — who make up the majority of locals working in these industries.
“I think there are a lot of queer people who are in the trades or are doing some sort of trades work on their own who would be interested in turning their hobbies or their interests in tinkering into careers,” said Avellino. “But we’re often locked out of the formal pathways that help us create careers.”
Approximately 30 people attended the group’s last event, which Avellino said is a reflection of how big the demand is for information about opportunities. One participant even walked around during the meet-and-greet taking notes during conversations.
“I’m excited about what this group is becoming and what it has the potential to be,” they underlined. “Especially now, when we can’t rely on the government and we can’t rely on systems and powers that be. We need to look out for each other and to create our own systems of support. And we as tradespeople are uniquely positioned to be systems of support to our community too.”
Women & Queers in Trades Career Day will take place 5-8 p.m. on April 30 at Next Fab, 1800 N. American St. To RSVP, visit https://bit.ly/4ipOM2X.
