Put Yourself in Their Shoes

“There are few job opportunities for me as a working-class, Black, queer, non-binary writer and nonprofit worker in the South. I moved to Seattle for a few years because I felt like my career was going nowhere fast in Atlanta. Upon moving back to Georgia, I quickly experienced the familiar feelings of frustration and unworthiness while looking for full-time, living wage employment. “Currently, I’m freelancing and consulting while I wait to start graduate school in the fall. I’m enjoying working for myself because many of my past workplaces have been sites of trauma for me. It’s been super demoralizing to work at organizations with alleged anti-oppression values that actively harm their most marginalized workers.(Leiva 2019)

So What is Heterosexism & Homophobia

While todays today is LGBTQ Discrimination in the Workplace, I want to take a moment to discuss what Heterosexism and Homophobia are and what are the differences between the two. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, Heterosexism is “discrimination or prejudice against non-heterosexual people based on the belief that heterosexuality is the only normal and natural expression of sexuality“. Now, some people may be confused and assume this is the same definition for homophobia, but Homophobia is actually a type of heterosexism and Oxford Dictionary defines it as “unreasoning fear of or antipathy towards homosexuals and homosexuality“.  To ensure the difference is understood, Heterosexism highlights the LGBTQ community as second class citizens where as Homophobia thrives off this idea of heterosexism and includes a range of hostile and prejudice attitudes and actions that are aimed towards homosexuals.

Where It All Started

Many may or may not know that June was designated to the LGBTQ community as remembrance of the Stonewall Uprising, but LGBTQ workplace discrimination dates even further back beginning in the early 1920’s in Chicago, when Henry Gerber founded what is deemed to be the first ever gay organization. He immigrated from Germany in 1913 and was temporarily admitted to a mental hospital due to his sexual orientation in 19171. Shortly after, The Society for Human Rights was established. Their mission was “to promote and protect the interests of people who by reasons of mental and physical abnormalities are abused and hindered in the legal pursuit of happiness which is guaranteed them by the Declaration of Independence.” (Chicago Tribune 2019) After a sad series of arrest in 1925, the group disbanded. But this was not the end of the road for the fight against the LGBTQ community. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order that banned people “guilty of sexual perversion” from all federal jobs. This lasted was in effect for 20 years. (Dishman 2018) It wasn’t till 1975 where the first federal gay rights bill would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. It wasn’t until 1993 that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was passed by president Bill Clinton which allowed gay men and women to stay in the military as long as their sexuality was not disclosed. In 2011 President Obama repealed this but over 12,000 individuals were discharged due to refusing to stay silent. And just recently in 2018, Trump banned transgenders from the military.

How it Affects the Workplace

Homophobia in the workplace can be especially dangerous in many situations. It hinders work performance, job security and also takes a toll on individuals mental health. Working It Out provides us with a list of ways homophobia is often displayed in the workplace.

• Inability to talk about one’s private life
• Problems asking for consideration when a partner is ill
• Constant pressure of being “on guard”
• Harassment in the form of jokes and innuendos, homophobic comments, threats to “out” a person
• Fear of reporting harassment and of not being taken seriously; being accused of over-sensitivity, of lacking a sense of humour, of “bringing it on themselves”
• Not having access to spousal entitlements in areas like parenting leave, relocation allowances or superannuation

(“In the Workplace” 2017)

What Can We Do To Help

Working it Out also provides us with seven steps to creating better employment practices for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people which I will list and briefly explain.

1. Build a culture of respect: Whether its making a public statement or donating monthly to LGBTQ charities, its important to encourage everyone to be themselves and show as an employer, manager or coworker that you care.
2. Support the establishment of LGBT employee networks: Networks help transform experiences while at work. It offers peer to peer support, rates awareness and ensure inclusion is a priority.
3. Tackle workplace bullying and harassment: Established policies and rules that prohibit gender identity and expression harassment that also include effective complaint reporting guidelines.
4. Publicize, implement and monitor equality policies you adopt: It’s not about just establishing these policies but also ensuring they are followed as well.
5. Provide relevant training to all employees: Ensure all employees are aware of these policies so that everyone can be on the same page.
6. Review terms of conditions of employment : Check to see if your company provides employment, healthcare and relocation benefits for same sex partners and that benefit providers are committed to equal treatment as well.
7. Recruit, select and promote fairly: When hiring or recruiting ensure everyone is given a chance.

References