BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACESEngaging Organizations and Individuals in ChangeEngaging Organizations and Individuals in Change 1
About CatalystFounded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globallywith businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities forwomen and business. With offices in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and more than 400preeminent corporations as members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information,and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiativesthat promote women’s advancement with the Catalyst Award.2 BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACESEngaging Organizations and Individuals in ChangeChristine SilvaAnika K. WarrenContributing Sponsor: 2009 CatalystNEW YORK 120 Wall Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10005; (212) 514-7600; (212) 514-8470 faxSUNNYVALE 165 Gibraltar Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94089; (408) 400-0287; (408) 744-9084 faxTORONTO 8 King Street East, Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1B5; (416) 815-7600; (416) 815-7601 faxZUG c/o KPMG AG, Landis Gyr-Strasse 1, 6300 Zug, Switzerland; 41-(0)44-208-3152; 41-(0)44-208-3500 faxemail: info@catalyst.org; www.catalyst.orgUnauthorized reproduction of this publication or any part thereof is prohibited.Catalyst Publication Code D88 ISBN# 0-89584-292-0Engaging Organizations and Individuals in Change 3
4 BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
Table of ContentsREPORT AT A GLANCE1CHAPTER 1: Understanding LGBT Inclusion2CHAPTER 2: Exposing Barriers7CHAPTER 3: Coming Out at Work: To Disclose or Not11CHAPTER 4: Building Inclusive Workplaces: Recommendations and Practices16APPENDIX 1: Terms to Know27APPENDIX 2: Research Methods28APPENDIX 3: Sample Description29Acknowledgements313233Canadian Advisory BoardCatalyst Board of DirectorsEngaging Organizations and Individuals in Change 5
6 BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
REPORT AT A GLANCEOrganizations that strive to maintain a competitiveadvantage by attracting and retaining top talentmust foster a workplace where all employees cansucceed. In this report, Catalyst demonstrateshow creating an LGBT-inclusive workplacebenefits all employees. By drawing on theworkplace experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) employees working inCanada—a country with legislated human rightsprotections for LGBT individuals—we find that,despite the supportive legal climate, workplacebarriers persist for LGBT employees. This suggeststhat organizations operating in all countries,regardless of existing human rights legislation,have an important role to play in fostering LGBTinclusion.While protecting employees from discriminationis essential when creating inclusive environments,organizations must move discourse beyond antidiscrimination policies to everyday issues facingLGBT employees. Organizations should developpractices that leverage diversity, foster inclusion,and increase awareness, accountability, and action.This report aims to help them do that.To discover how organizations and individualscan create more inclusive and productiveworkplaces, we conducted an online survey askingLGBT employees about their relationships withcolleagues, managers, and senior leaders; aboutcareer advancement experiences and strategies;and how their organizations could better supportthem.Respondents cited three factors that affected theircareer advancement and the formation of criticalrelationships in the workplace: A lack of awareness regarding LGBT issues. Discriminatory behaviours against LGBTemployees. Exclusion from important connections withothers.LGBT employees also felt their colleagues,managers, and senior leaders could be morecomfortable with them and better informed aboutchallenges they face at work. In particular, througha second survey on workplace experiences, LGBTwomen reported less positive relationships withtheir managers compared to LGBT men and nonLGBT women and men.Organizations that want to fully leverage a diversetalent pool can implement systems to effect change.LGBT employees at organizations with diversityand inclusion programs, policies, and practices, aswell as broader talent management programs: Were more satisfied and committed. Perceived their workplace as more fair. Had more positive relationships with theirmanagers and colleagues.Organizations must make a concerted effort tocreate LGBT-inclusive workplaces. Developing andimplementing effective LGBT-inclusion programswill lead to a broader understanding of LGBTidentity, gender, and equity in the workplace.Engaging Organizations and Individuals in Change 1
CHAPTER 1UNDERSTANDING LGBT INCLUSIONLGBT Inclusion:Advancing Workplaces and Improvingthe Bottom LineWhile research has increasingly focused ongender diversity and inclusion in the workplace,issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, andtransgender (LGBT1) employees have receivedlittle attention.2 It is challenging to collectprecise statistics, but it has been estimated thatlesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals representup to 21 percent of the population dependingon country, age, and whether researchersmeasure identity, attraction, or behaviour.3difficulties that LGBT employees face in theworkplace are often unnoticed or ignored byorganizations. As “invisible minorities” whodiffer from the majority on dimensions thatare not always immediately apparent, LGBTemployees may choose not to disclose theirLBGT identity. Thus, organizations may not beaware of the full diversity of their workforce orunderstand the benefits, needs, and challengesof LGBT employees.The number of employees impacted by LGBTissues is substantial when considering thatit also includes friends, families, coworkers,managers, customers, and clients of LGBTindividuals. Given the globalization ofbusinesses and economies, organizationsstriving to lead their industries cannot afford tounderutilize any segment of the talent pool.Organizations must pay attention to whethertheir employees are satisfied and committed.Research has shown that job satisfactionand commitment are connected to higherproductivity and profitability and lowerabsenteeism and turnover.4 Discriminationbased on sexual orientation was found tobe related to lower job satisfaction andorganizational engagement.5 Lesbian and gayemployees working in organizations with moreprotection from discrimination have higherLGBT women and men are highly engagedin workforces globally. Nevertheless, the1. LGBT: This is the acronym most commonly used in Canada and the United States to address the lesbian, gay, bisexual, andtransgender community. The acronym can vary in a number of ways, including GLBT and GLB, and can include additionalletters, such as Q (queer; also questioning), I (intersex), and A (straight ally). Lesbian: A woman whose emotional, sexual, orromantic attractions are primarily to other women. Gay: A woman or a man whose emotional, sexual, or romantic attractionsare primarily to members of the same gender. Bisexual: A person whose emotional, sexual, or romantic attractions are to bothwomen and men. Transgender: People who identify with the characteristics, roles, behaviours, or desires of a gender differentfrom the one they were assigned at birth. This is an umbrella term that can be used to include transsexuals, cross-dressers,and other gender-variant people; some may use the umbrella term “trans-identified.” Queer: A fluid term with numerousmeanings. It is commonly used to describe sexual orientation and/or gender identity or gender expression that does notconform to heterosexual norms. The term is often used to refer to the general LGBT community. It can be either a positive ora negative term, depending on the context in which it is used.2. Belle Rose Ragins, “Sexual Orientation in the Workplace: The Unique Work and Career Experiences of Gay, Lesbian andBisexual Workers,” Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, vol. 23 (2004): p. 35-120.3. Ritch C. Savin-Williams, “Who’s Gay? Does It Matter?” Psychological Science, vol. 15 (2006): p. 40-44.4. James K. Harter, Frank L. Schmidt, Theodore L. Hayes, “Business-Unit-Level Relationship Between Employee Satisfaction,Employee Engagement, and Business Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis,” Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 87, no. 2 (2002): p.268-279.5. Belle Rose Ragins and John M. Cornwell, “Pink Triangles: Antecedents and Consequences of Perceived WorkplaceDiscrimination Against Gay and Lesbian Employees,” Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 86, no. 6 (2001): p. 1244-1261.2 BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
levels of job satisfaction and commitment.6 LGBTemployees may continue working at an inclusiveand open workplace, sometimes called a “safehaven,” even if more lucrative or beneficial jobopportunities exist at organizations perceived to beless inclusive.7In an attempt to address these issues, manyorganizations have implemented anti-discriminationpolicies that protect LGBT employees. However,providing LGBT employees with an environmentin which they can achieve their full professionalpotential requires more than anti-discriminationpolicies. Including LGBT employees fully andfairly in recruiting, development, networking,advancement, and leadership opportunitiesrequires a comprehensive set of programs andpolicies with strong senior leadership support.Organizational leaders who understand thebottom-line benefits of diversity should be eagerto implement LGBT-inclusion programs. Diverseteams have substantial benefits for organizationsand generate more innovative solutions when theirdifferent perspectives are used to solve problems.8LGBT-inclusive workplaces can increase employeeengagement by allowing employees to be authenticand spend less effort on self-editing; reduce costsby decreasing turnover; and increase revenuegeneration by encouraging LGBT employees tohelp the organization tap new markets and increasecustomer loyalty.9 Past research has shown that 88percent of lesbian and gay adults and 70 percentof heterosexuals are likely to consider purchasesfrom organizations that are known to provide equalworkplace benefits to all employees, regardlessof sexual orientation.10 Clearly, organizations thatfully embrace all their employees, including LGBTemployees, will benefit on many levels.In fact, this report demonstrates that many barriersfaced by LGBT employees echo those experiencedby women in past Catalyst research,11 suggestingthat organizational efforts to increase inclusionmay benefit a broad range of groups. Indeed,an important aspect of advancing women in theworkplace is acknowledging and developing amore thorough understanding of LGBT women—who may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, ortransgender.As organizations make strides to become moreinclusive, they may be perceived as an “employerof choice” for a more diverse candidate pool,further increasing the diversity of their talent andthe success of their business. In this way, diversityand inclusion may be mutually reinforcing.When people feel respected and neededand liked, they perform better. Fostering anatmosphere of joyful acceptance of LGBTpeople in the workplace makes them betterworkers. Being a better worker helps careersdevelop. Engagement happens when a personfeels appreciated and accepted for who theyare. Profits are not far behind.—Queer woman6. Scott B. Button, “Organizational Efforts to Affirm Sexual Diversity: A Cross-Level Examination,” Journal of Applied Psychology, vol.86, no. 1 (2001): p. 17-28.7. Belle Rose Ragins, “Sexual Orientation in the Workplace: The Unique Work and Career Experiences of Gay, Lesbian, and BisexualEmployees,” Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, vol. 23 (2004): p. 108.8. For an overview of research on the impact of diversity in organizations, see Katherine Y. Williams and Charles A. O’Reilly III,“Demography and Diversity in Organizations: A Review of 40 Years of Research” in Barry M. Staw and L.L. Cummings (eds.),Research in Organizational Behaviour, vol. 20 (1998).9. David Megathlin, LGBT Inclusion–Understanding the Challenges (Catalyst, 2007).10. Harris Interactive, “Large Majorities of Heterosexuals and Gays Likely to Consider a Corporate Brand that Provides Equal WorkplaceBenefits to All Employees, Including Gay and Lesbian Employees” (February 6, 2007), e.asp?NewsID 1171.11. Prior Catalyst research has demonstrated that a lack of network opportunities and stereotyping are advancement barriers experiencedby women in the United States and Europe. Catalyst, Women “Take Care,” Men “Take Charge:” Stereotyping of U.S. BusinessLeaders Exposed (2005); Catalyst, Different Cultures, Similar Perceptions: Stereotyping of Western European Business Leaders(2006); Catalyst, Women in Leadership: A European Business Imperative (2002); Heather Foust-Cummings, Laura Sabattini, andNancy Carter, Women in Technology: Maximizing Talent, Minimizing Barriers (Catalyst, 2008).Engaging Organizations and Individuals in Change 3
MethodologyThis report draws from data gathered through two surveys.12Survey of LGBT EmployeesWe recruited individuals through various LGBT organizationsin Canada to participate in an online survey of their workplaceexperiences. This recruiting technique allowed us to reachLGBT individuals who may not be out at work and may be morecomfortable describing their workplace experiences throughchannels not connected to their employer. The resulting samplecomprised 232 respondents who identified as lesbian, gay,bisexual, transgender, transsexual male-to-female, transsexualfemale-to-male, queer, questioning,13 intersex,14 and/or twospirit.15 Because many LGBT identity groups were reflected inthe sample, we were able to make comparisons among groups.The main findings were based on qualitative data from thesurvey’s open-ended questions, which captured the workplaceexperiences, perceptions, and stories of LGBT employees. Manyresponses to these questions are highlighted in the chaptersthat follow. The qualitative findings are supplemented withfindings from the responses to closed-ended questions, whichallowed for quantitative analysis and grouping of respondents bysexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Specifically,respondents were separated into the following groupings: lesbianand gay women combined; bisexual, queer, and questioningwomen combined; gay men; bisexual, queer, and questioningmen combined; and transgender and transsexual women andmen combined.Career Advancement SurveyOur second set of data was collected as part of a study on careeradvancement in corporate Canada.16 This sample comprised17,908 respondents, 466 of whom identified as LGBT.All of the respondents to this survey answered closed-endedquestions that provided quantitative data. The data, whichwere used to compare the career advancement experiences ofrespondents who identified as LGBT with those of respondentswho did not identify as LGBT, supplemented the findings fromthe first dataset.LGBT Terminology:What You Need to Know17The term “LGBT” is useful to refer to individuals inthe minority with respect to sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression, but it is importantto recognize the diversity of the LGBT community.Sexual orientation. The terms lesbian, gay, bisexual,and heterosexual18 all refer to sexual orientation,the emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction toindividuals of a particular gender (women or men).Critically, these terms do not necessarily refer tosexual practices or behaviours. It is important todistinguish LGBT workplace issues from individuals’sexual practices.Gender identity and gender expression. Genderidentity is one’s inner sense of being a woman ora man, regardless of biological birth sex; genderexpression refers to how an individual manifestsa sense of femininity or masculinity throughappearance, behaviour, grooming, and/or dress. Theterms transgender and transsexual refer to genderidentity and/or expression. At some points in theirlife, people who are transgender may express and/oridentify with the characteristics, roles, behaviours,or desires of the gender different from the one theywere assigned at birth. Transsexuals change or seekto change their physical characteristics throughsurgery or hormone therapy to that of the oppositesex—for example, individuals born as males seekto change their sex to female.Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression Apply to EveryoneAll individuals, regardless of whether or not theyidentify as LGBT, have a sexual orientation, genderidentity, and gender expression. These dimensionscan be thought of as a continuum with those in themajority on one end and those in the minority onthe other end. Catalyst developed Figure 1, whichdepicts this continuum on a grid, to highlight thediversity of sexual orientation and gender identityand gender expression. How a person identifiesand how that person presents to others are distinct12. For more information on the methodology, see Appendix 2.13. Questioning: Someone who is questioning his or her gender, sexual identity, or sexual orientation.14. Intersex: Individuals with sex chromosomes or biological/physical characteristics that are neither exclusively male nor female.15. Two-Spirit: The term used by contemporary Native Americans and Aboriginal people in Canada to describe a masculine spirit anda feminine spirit living in the same body.16. The survey data included white/Caucasian and visible minority respondents from a variety of industries and organizations acrossCanada. Catalyst, Career Advancement in Corporate Canada: A Focus on Visible Minorities Survey Findings (2007).17. See Appendix 1 for the full glossary of terms.18. Straight/Heterosexual: A person whose emotional, sexual, or romantic attractions are primarily to members of the opposite sex.4 BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
concepts. However, for the sake of simplicity,we have grouped gender identity and genderexpression together.Looking clockwise from the top right corner ofFigure 1, the following groups are reflected: Those in the majority for both sexualorientation and gender identity/expression,for example a heterosexual woman whoalways identifies as and presents as female. Those in the majority for sexual orientationand minority for gender identity/expression,for example a heterosexual woman whosometimes presents as a man. Those in the minority for both sexualorientation and gender identity/expression,for example an individual who was born malebut identifies as a female and has undergonesurgery to change his sex to female, and whoidentifies as a lesbian. Those in the minority for sexual orientationand the majority for gender identity/expression, for example a bisexual man whoalways identifies as and presents as male.Figure 1Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/ExpressionLesbian, Gay, and BisexualWomen and MenWho Do Not Identify asTransgender or TranssexualMinorityLesbian, Gay, and BisexualWomen and MenWho Identify asTransgender or TranssexualGender Identity/ExpressionMajorityHeterosexual Women andMen Who Do Not Identify asTransgender or TranssexualMajoritySexual OrientationHeterosexual Women and MenWho Identify asTransgender or TranssexualMinorityLGBT Inclusion in CanadaCanada should be proud of its place in theworld as a safe place for LGBT people.Canadian organizations need to encourageand help foster growth within their ranks forLGBT people and be proud.—Gay manprotects employees and clients in Canada fromdiscrimination based on sexual orientation.20 Thatmeans, for example, that sexual orientation is notgrounds for dismissal from a job in any Canadianprovince, as it is in many other countries and themajority of U.S. states.21In Canada, a broad framework of laws and policiesthat support diversity and inclusion has beenimplemented. The Canadian Charter of Rights andFreedoms p
2 BUILDING LGBT-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES 1. LGBT: This is the acronym most commonly used in Canada and the
WHY LGBT MEDIA? 60%. read LGBT media that most straight people have never heard of. 82%. attend LGBT events. 76%. visit LGBT websites. 69% . read LGBT magazines. 86%. of LGBT people engaged with some form of LGBT-oriented media in the past week. SOURCES: Pink Media 2014 Research - AU respondents, DNA Readers survey 2012 - All respondents. 1 .
is good for business. BUSINESS SUCCESS AND GROWTH THROUGH LGBT—INCLUSIVE CULTURE Executive Summary Previous studies have shown the positive impact of LGBT-inclusive practices on a company's bottom line and its ability to attract and retain talent. Companies that adopt LGBT-inclusive practices tend to improve their financial standing, and do
the health and social care sectors to take up the work that some very dedicated and inventive individuals have already begun. 4 Health and Social Care and LGBT Communities Introduction Our inquiry 1. In July 2018 the Government published its National LGBT Survey and LGBT Action Plan, which committed to improving the lives of LGBT people in the UK. The same month, an event on LGBT and health .
LGBT Population Health course syllabus Page 5 of 13 Version: 1-Apr-14 Be able to identify three public health problems faced disproportionately by one of the LGBT populations Be able to identify gaps in research on LGBT population health Understand the diversity of health disparities experienced by LGBT populations Identify LGBT health resources available to students at the UNC Health Sciences .
Laporan LGBT Nasional Indonesia - Hidup Sebagai LGBT di Asia 8 Ikhtisar Eksekutif [Foto: Para peserta Dialog Komunitas LGBT Nasional Indonesia] Hidup Sebagai LGBT di Asia: Dialog Komunitas LGBT Nasional Indonesia Laporan ini mengulas lingkungan hukum dan sosial yang dihadapi kelompok lesbian, gay, biseksual dan transgender (LGBT) di Indonesia.
population identifies as LGBT.iv Additional research shows that roughly 10% of youth identify as LGBT, with rural youth just as likely as urban youth to identify as LGBT.v Taken together, this suggests that between 2.9 million and 3.8 million LGBT people—or 15-20% of the total U.S. LGBT population—live in rural areas around the country. vi
victims as hate crime victims. These one-dimensional narratives miss many criminal justice problems that especially fall on LGBT people who bear the brunt of inequality in the criminal justice system—including LGBT people of color, transgender people, undocumented LGBT people, LGBT people
work and language games. - reading texts extending the main story-line. - translation exercises. - some songs and poems for learners. At the end of the book you will find the texts of the listening exercises, a summary of the grammar covered in the course, a pronunciation guide and Russian to English and English to Russian dictionaries.
