LGBTQIA+ Spotlight: Half-Hearted Pride Isn't Enough & Most Are Not ‘Out’ At Work
A majority of LGBTQIA+ employees aren't out at work and companies are missing the upside.
The Next Big Think! will send you one number, one insight, and three links weekly to keep you ahead of societal shifts.
#TwoWayRelationships
61% of openly out LGBTQIA+ employees said they felt "invested in company success" compared to 47% of those not out.
A working relationship is a two-way street. Fostering environments where employees don’t have to code-switch their identities creates working environments where employees are more invested in their employer, can focus their time on the job, and are positioned to thrive. The issue is most queer employees aren’t out citing safety as a concern.
Source: The Harris Poll
Preface: Happy Pride Month! I’m just getting back from Norway, where rainbow flags fly everywhere, from government buildings to schools, making pride feel true about cultural appreciation vs. commercial appropriation. In that context, I wanted to highlight the fantastic work coming out of our Thought Leadership practice in a series of research reports titled “Inclusive Insights: LGBTQIA+”. Leading this effort is Tim Osiecki, Morgan Rentko, and Danielle Summerlin.
One of the hundreds of flags flying in Oslo.
💡One Insight
LGBTQIA+: Not ‘Out’ At Work + Feeling Unsafe
What:
Pride Month may drape our cities in vibrant colors, but a significant proportion of the LGBTQIA+ community continues to grapple with gray-scale realities in their workplaces. Most conceal their identities from colleagues, superiors, and professional networking platforms (e.g., LinkedIn). The reasons are diverse, ranging from personal preference to fears of negative reactions, professional repercussions, or a hostile work environment.
If you need to be reminded of a visceral understanding of what this may feel like, I recommend watching L.A. School Board President Jackie Goldberg give an impassioned speech to the community about the serious damage created by anti-gay protests that happened in L.A. over a three-day period.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
While many LGBTQIA+ employees believe their companies are advancing towards inclusion, instances of unaddressed discrimination and harassment cast a troubling shadow over these perceptions.
The data further reveals that 'out' employees report a more positive and thriving experience in the workplace. The task at hand, then, is to cultivate an environment that celebrates and supports LGBTQIA+ employees. Echoing the words of Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's openly gay Prime Minister, "Everyone should be able to live freely without hiding their feelings or the person they are."
What the data tells us:
Read the full report here; Inclusive Insights: LGBTQIA+ and Work. This research surveyed over 1,100 LGBTQIA+ adults in the United States, including representative samples of BIPOC, non-binary, and transgender queer respondents. This work has been covered by Inc.
Only 4 in 10 LGBTQIA+ employees feel comfortable being openly out
Over half of transgender, BIPOC, Millennial, and Gen Z queer professionals have had a negative experience coming out to their workplace
Nearly half of LGBTQIA+ employees have experienced harassment or discrimination
46% have experienced harassment or discrimination but chose not to report because it felt either unsafe or unproductive to do so, including 65% of transgender employees.
38% have reported harassment or discrimination related to their LGBTQIA+ identity, but their employer failed to act, including 57% of transgender employees.
Compounding inequities impact BIPOC and Transgender queer professionals
“I feel I have to hide things about my life outside of work that others in my workplace do not.” 71% of trans, 54% of BIPOC v. 51% of the overall LGBTQIA+ community.
“I have to outperform non-LGBTQIA+ co workers to gain the same recognition.” 57% of trans, 50% of BIPOC, v. 40% of white LGBTQIA+.
Supporting LGBTQIA+ has compounding returns- being ‘out’ creates an environment for thriving employees
What to think about?
LGBTQIA+ employees seek genuine, whole-hearted Pride Month efforts from their employers. While 57% of LGBTQIA+ employees report their company recognizes Pride Month in some way, 62% "think it's worse to make a halfhearted Pride Month effort than do nothing at all."
What does a good Pride Month effort look like? According to queer professionals they wish their employer would do the following for Pride month.
First, put your money where your mouth is, and not only for June. Consider long-term monetary donations to LGBTQIA+ orgs. or causes.
Second, add time and effort to the cause, organizing a volunteering event around LGBTQIA+ causes.
Third, celebrate the culture; flags, pride gear, organizing programming, and creating social events.
Mere symbolism, while appreciated, cannot replace substantive change. Businesses need to understand the importance of creating an environment where employees feel safe being themselves. This vision should guide our efforts as we strive for a future of work that acknowledges, accepts, and celebrates every individual's unique identity.
Early next week we will cover what brands should do to authentically support and connect to the LGBTQIA+ community.
3 Links
Reddit Gave Its Moderators Freedom—And Power (are you watching these protests— data is currency) (The Verge)
Yale, University of New Haven partnership celebrates first degrees awarded to inmates (AP News)
In Japan, you can pay a startup $144 to quit your job on your behalf (Insider)
Curiosity is contagious; if you like this newsletter, please share it!!
Penned by Libby Rodney and Abbey Lunney, founders of the Thought Leadership Group at The Harris Poll. To learn more about the Thought Leadership Practice, just contact one of us or find out more here.
 | A guest post by
|