Choosing Inclusivity: Being an Ally to the LGBTQ+ at Work
It is a well-known fact that for many of us, a significant portion of our life is spent at work; research corroborates that the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime.
Keeping this in mind, the impact of a secure, positive, and nurturing work environment on employees’ happiness and wellbeing cannot be undermined. It is of paramount importance that organizations and especially leaders reflect upon diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace to have a better sense of workplace belonging.
There are some alarming statistics that have surfaced when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion. A survey by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation found that 46% of LGBTQ+ people reported being closeted at work and 20% reported searching for a different job because their workplace was unwelcoming.
Another survey cites that 35% of LGBTQ people have hidden their orientation at work for fear of discrimination. Yet another report says that 34% of LGBTQ+ workers prefer to work remotely to deal with the in-person stress of disclosing their identity with their co-workers. Unearthing these findings clearly pave the way for organizations to think that there is still a long way to go before the workplace is fully inclusive for LGBTQ+ employees.
June is acknowledged as Pride Month, a celebration of LGBTQ+ communities. What does it mean for each one of us? It simply means that this is a chance to create and boost awareness and help each other understand how we can support, be a better ally, make a difference, and make our workplace inclusive from the perspective of LGBTQ+ employees. Here are my top five reflections for workplaces to be more inclusive when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Allyship Throughout the Year and Not Just Those 4 Weeks of Pride Month
It is time we believe allyship is about cultivating an inclusive environment where others are heard, listened to, and understood throughout the year and not just during Pride Month. As colleagues and leaders, we all apportion the responsibility of creating an atmosphere where everyone belongs.
I think it is extremely crucial that we understand how LGBTQ+ individuals define allyship and then decode the workplace inclusivity principles accordingly. Allyship means that anyone can be the stimulant and impetus for inclusion, and one does not need to relegate this only to the confines of Pride Month.
Educate, Uncover the Bias, and Understand Intersectionality
It is very important to entrust and empower oneself with knowledge as an important first step in the allyship journey. Knowing the dos and don’ts and what would be helpful to be the best ally possible is critical. Using inclusive language, adding pronouns to email signatures, or simply introducing oneself with pronouns can help adapt and normalize pronoun usage.
Augmenting one’s awareness of implicit biases will go a long way in learning how to be an LGBTQ ally. Learning LGBTQ+ beyond these five letters, diving into intersectionality, and realizing the impact one can make will help in making a better ally at work.
Listen and Follow the Learning Curve
It is of utmost importance that we listen to our LGBTQ+ co-workers, and have conversations about how they are doing, what they seek from an inclusive workplace, how comfortable the work environment and what support can we offer as colleagues and leaders.
Simply listening without asking probing or discerning questions can help build a relationship at the workplace and become a great ally. Sometimes we all might make mistakes in the inadvertent misuse of a label or characterization, if so, then just apologize and commit to learning from these experiences.
Start an Ally Network
Organizations can create a definitive ally network to have noticeable and visible individuals championing the cause and nurturing an inclusive environment where people can feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work.
Being an ally is to create a meaningful change by listening without judgment and providing a vent to allow them to share their experiences, voice concerns and be there for each other. In case of discrimination, seek out the appropriate channels and let it be known that this is unacceptable.
Accountability of Co-workers and Leadership
Ask the question, “How can I make an impact?” And then pursue the answer through analysis, awareness, and action. Focus on organization-wide training, educating employees, outreach programs, hosting a support group, or just lending a listening ear to the one struggling to bring oneself to work. Play an active role in internal networks committed to promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion practices within the organization and teaching others how to be LGBTQ allies.
Organizations can include verbiage around inclusive workplaces, sexual orientation, and gender identification in the employee handbook. Identity is a spectrum and a continuum; when people feel seen, heard, and affirmed, they are going to unleash their best in everything they do, which makes us all successful and creates a win-win for organizations.
Therefore, as an LGBTQ+ allies, we need to support by using our voice, capitalizing on opportunities to reinforce and fortify the voices of those with less representation by not only celebrating Pride Month in June but blossoming it into an unceasing journey throughout the year.
