Inclusion of LGBT+ employees throughout the year is essential (Not Just Pride Month)
The LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride Month to remember and honour the activists who have stood up for their rights in the face of outright hostility and violence from society as a whole.
Pride offers an opportunity to say "There is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to your sexual orientation and gender identity," and encourage LGBTQ+ people to do so all year long.
However, many employers appear to seriously consider LGBTQ+ issues in the workplace during June, when it becomes advantageous to do so from a public relations standpoint. A significant number of organisations fail to consider the specific needs of LGBTQ+ people when developing diversity and inclusion strategies, resulting in uncomfortable, if not hostile workplaces, for a large number of LGBTQ+ people to work.
We dug deeper into the subject and put together this guide on how to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ employees throughout the year, not just during Pride month.
The Origins of Pride.
While it may be uncomfortable for some to acknowledge, the Pride movement arose from the ashes of a riot, specifically the Stonewall Riots in New York City in 1969, and has since spread worldwide.
To identify as LGBTQ+ Back in the 1960s, being gay or transgender meant facing everything from physical violence and systematic discrimination to homelessness and being fired from jobs solely based on one's sexual orientation or gender identity.
During an early morning raid on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village on June 28, 1969, police were taken aback when the LGBTQ+ patrons physically resisted being arrested, something that had never happened before on such a large scale in the city. Patrons of the LGBTQ+ bar, fed up with years of police violence, intimidation, and blackmail, barricaded police officers inside the establishment, igniting several nights of demonstrations and protests against the way they had been treated in society.
It marked a watershed moment in LGBTQ+ activism and served as the impetus for the 'Gay Liberation Movement' emergence in the 1970s.
The Stonewall Riots were commemorated annually in June by the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, which LGBTQ+ organisations organised to celebrate the events of that day and the increased confidence that it had given the LGBTQ+ community.
Over time, and as a response to the devastation caused by the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, it evolved into Pride parades, a celebration of life, diversity, and self-confidence in the LGBTQ+ community that occur every June in cities and towns all over the world.
That is why it can be highly irritating for LGBTQ+ employees to see their employers only acknowledge their existence and the specific problems that they face in the workplace once a year, in June – when it is deemed to be 'safe,' politically expedient, and financially beneficial to do so – on a fundamental level. It has the potential to come across as highly disrespectful.
So, now that we've established the "why," let's move on to the "how."
The following are six of the most effective ways to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ employees throughout the year, not just during Pride month.
Educate yourself and your employees.
The fact is that LGBTQ+ people face issues in life that heterosexual people do not – or that they face significantly exacerbated problems – that heterosexual people do not, impacting one's performance at work. For example:
In the last year, half of the LGBTQ+ community (fifty-two per cent) reported that they had suffered from clinical depression.
LGBTQ+ people have reported experiencing unequal health treatment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity in a survey conducted in 2015.
Sixty-six per cent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and transgender (transgender) people believe there are problems with homophobia and transphobia in sports. Between 2008 and 2014, 1,612 trans people were murdered worldwide, equating to one murder every two days.
More than half of the world's LGBTQ+ employees do not have legal protection against discrimination at their place of employment.
Around a quarter of the world's population believes that being LGBTQ+ should be illegal in some capacity.
Being educated on the specific issues LGBTQ+ employees face when being open about their sexuality and gender identity is essential if we successfully combat homophobia and transphobia in our workplaces. Educating not only yourself but also your employees on these issues is essential.
One practical way to accomplish this is by developing a sensitive, anonymous survey to distribute to your employees. You ask them about their experience at work and whether or not they have encountered any specific issues related to their sexual orientation or gender identification.
Create spaces that are free of gender distinctions.
Especially when anti-trans and nonbinary rhetoric is gaining ground in many countries, including the United Kingdom, employers must take a stand on behalf of their trans employees and provide them with supportive workplace environments. One way to achieve this is to convert some of your restrooms into gender-neutral spaces.
When it comes to workplace discrimination, transgender and nonbinary people are at a higher risk of being victimised than the general population. For example, the Stonewall Institute reports that two out of every five transgender people have been victims of a hate crime or incident motivated by their gender identity in the last year.
Gendered toilets can cause some employees to feel uncomfortable because they may be forced to use a bathroom that does not correlate to their gender identity. However, creating gender-neutral spaces, such as toilets, is a relatively simple and practical way to show your support for trans and nonbinary employees while also openly discussing the hidden barriers for trans people in the workplace.
It demonstrates that your organisation is not only willing to talk the talk about these issues; it also indicates that you are willing to walk the walk on these issues.
Encourage the development of LGBTQ+ employee networks.
A practical approach to making your workplace more inclusive is to provide a platform for the people who you are attempting to make your organisation more inclusive to express themselves.
Employees with LGBTQ+ identities can benefit from the development of LGBTQ+ caucuses or networks in the workplace, which can serve as a vital space for them to network, gain confidence, and shape company policies to create a more welcoming work environment for everyone.
Employee committees can also be an excellent tool for boosting employee morale and ensuring that employees feel respected and valued within the workplace community.
LGBTQ+ employee networks can be as formal or informal as you choose according to your overall diversity and inclusion strategy. For example, having a formal body that makes recommendations to your organisation's board of directors can be beneficial in some situations; however, having a socially-focused network that allows LGBTQ+ employees to network may be more appropriate in other conditions.
Develop LGBTQ+ friendly policies
When it comes to improving inclusivity all year round, the most fundamental step is to examine how you can make specific company policies more LGBTQ+ friendly.
While it may be tempting to believe that your current policies will be sufficient to protect LGBTQ+ people, the specific issues that affect people in this demographic necessitate the development of tailored solutions.
It could entail thinking about things such as these:
Bringing abuse and harassment training resources up to date to include LGBTQ+ specific issues such as hate crime and domestic abuse is essential.
Changing parental leave policies to welcome families who identify as LGBTQ+ is a priority.
Developing resources and support for employees who are transitioning from one gender to another.
Employers should provide mental health services that are tailored to LGBTQ+ employees.
Don't make the false claim that your company is perfect.
When it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace, one of the biggest mistakes that an employer can make is to believe that their company is perfect and that, as a result, no improvement is necessary.
Just because you are not aware of a problem does not rule out the possibility that one exists.
The findings of Stonewall's 'LGBT at Work' report, which examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the workplace, are shocking.
According to the findings of the report:
Almost one in every five LGBTQ+ employees (eighteen per cent) reported that they had been the target of adverse comments or actions from workplace colleagues because of their sexual orientation or gender identity in the previous 12 months.
For more than a third of LGBTQ+ employees (thirty-five per cent), disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity at work is a source of anxiety because they are concerned about being discriminated against.
Eighteen per cent of LGBTQ+ individuals reported being discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity during the hiring process.
One out of every eight lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, as well as one out of every five transgender people, would be uncomfortable reporting bullying or hate crime to their employer.
When it comes to creating a welcoming workplace environment, it is critical to keep an open mind about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in your organisation.
Don't be afraid to speak up.
Sometimes it is not easy to do the right thing and defend a marginalised group that is being targeted. Especially true when it comes to issues relating to the LGBTQ+ community. Taking financial, reputational, and even physical risks is a scary prospect that requires courage and foresight.
However, when it comes to principles, you must take a stand on important issues to your organisation – the employees you are assisting will be highly grateful. Why? Because the stance you take as an organisation in the larger world has a much more significant impact on promoting tolerance in society than you might imagine.
Real, long-lasting change in attitudes does not come about as a result of a smattering of rights handed down from above. Instead, it is accomplished through individuals, organisations, and businesses at the grassroots level. The example you set as an organisation contributes to hundreds of thousands of individual efforts by other companies and groups doing the same thing, creating momentum for positive change in the world around them.