Embracing Inclusion and Diversity in the Workplace Unless You’re Part of the LGBTQ Community
I'm Gay. Can I work here? A personal story about the potential hardships of being an LGBTQ individual in the workplace.
Embracing Inclusion and Diversity in the Workplace Unless You’re Part of the LGBTQ Community
Early into my employment, I worked with a manager that at the time, appeared to be inclusive and diverse. My colleagues of varied ethnicities had tattoos, piercings, colored hair and our Store Manager was openly gay. Our Assistant Store Manager was a good example of how even within an organization that is inclusive and diverse, there still can be individuals that are discriminatory. Our Assistant Manager was apparently not comfortable with someone who is gay working with him. During a shift where the Assistant Store Manager and I were working, I recall us having a conversation about a new employee joining our team and I recall the Assistant Store Manager saying, "I hope we don't get another one. We already have one gay (referring to our Store Manager) and that's about all I can handle in here." He apparently didn't know he was already working with two gays!
I later worked for another employer where I also felt I was working for an employer that embraced inclusion and diversity since the director of the department often shared with staff that she valued diversity. I felt comfortable enough to have a picture of my boyfriend and me at my desk but later learned that the director's value of diversity did not extend to the LGBTQ community. The director was visibly uncomfortable when I shared about my relationship with my boyfriend and my involvement with volunteering with organizations assisting people living with HIV/AIDS. My employment with this organization came to an abrupt ending shortly after to which I was provided no reason for my termination.
While I've had the unfortunate opportunity to work for employers that have not been inclusive, I've also had the absolute privilege to be employed by what I know to be one of the most inclusive organizations especially with regard to the LGBTQ community – the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The Los Angeles LGBT organization is one of the nation's largest and most experienced providers of LGBT health and mental healthcare. It's the only Federally Qualified Health Center in California – and of the few in the nation – specifically for LGBT people.
When I started working at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, I quickly realized I was joining an organization that sincerely values inclusion, individuality and diversity. This was apparent visually through physical attributes including but not limited to tattoos, piercings, colored hair and staff composed of varied ethnicities, many of whom identify as LGBTQ. Many of my colleagues identified as LGBTQ and those that did not identify as LGBTQ upheld the same value for inclusion. The Human Resources Department even provides cultural competency training to all staff to familiarize staff with the LGBTQ community and address any questions people might have. This was the first time I felt comfortable to disclose my orientation to my employer without fear of being terminated simply for being gay. The Los Angeles LGBT Center is certainly setting an example for how employers should welcome inclusion and diversity.
The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy conducted studies that resulted in the findings that between 15 and 43 percent of LGBT people have experienced discrimination or harassment in the workplace as a result of their sexual orientation. The percentage of transgender individuals who have experienced discrimination or harassment in the workplace was significantly higher resulting in 90%. While there is clearly a risk for the LGBTQ community to disclose their orientation to employers which for some people could result in termination of employment and in some countries could result in more severe consequences, it's also concerning that some LGBTQ individuals feel obligated to hide their identity from employers. I've also felt the need to hide that I'm gay with employers and often as a result have felt slightly ashamed for doing that. As the culture continues to shift to be more progressive, I look forward to seeing more employers adapt and embrace inclusion and diversity so that LGBTQ individuals no longer feel obligated to hide their identity but rather are recognized for who we are – people – just like everyone else.
Read more from "5 People Who Were Fired for Being Gay, And The 29 States Where That Is Still Legal" at: http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/5-people-who-were-fired-for-being-gay-and-the-29-states-where-that-is-still-legal/#sthash.JizCPxBx.dpuf
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