Pride month is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. It is all about raising awareness and educating people about their rights whilst celebrating their identities. This awareness also includes making our workplaces more LGBTQ+ inclusive. As per a 2017 report, “One-fifth (20%) of LGBTQ Americans have experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity when applying for jobs,20 but experiences vary by race and ethnicity”. This is even though the United States prohibits discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation.
The situation is worse in many other countries that still stay homophobic and treat queer people as outcasts. This has led people to hide their sexual identities to get employment or take up odd jobs to survive. As an employer or even as an employee, it’s your responsibility to make your workplace more welcoming towards the LGBTQ+ community. Here’s how you can do it:
6 Ways to Make Your Workplace LGBTQ+ Friendly
1. Make changes in the office policies
In the quest of making your workplace more welcoming towards the LGBTQ+ community, you need to review your policies and make appropriate changes. It should offer equal treatment and benefits to all employees regardless of their sexual orientation and gender.
Make the new guidelines available to all employees and establish a procedure for dealing with those who violate the policies. This will help safeguard the rights of LGBTQ+ employees and give them a sense of security. Also, build unisex restrooms and do not impose a gender-specific dress code on them.
2. Hire a diverse workforce
Become a diversity champion and add more LGBTQ+ employees to your workforce. Change your hiring strategies and policies to accommodate them. Conduct thorough market research to determine what you can do better to attract more LGBTQ+ talent. Rewrite your job descriptions, solicit employee referrals, and spread the word about your diversity initiative.
Collaborate with organizations and LGBTQ+ networks in your area. You can also attend and sponsor their events to increase the visibility of your hiring campaigns.
3. Provide training and mentoring
You can offer training to the employees to become more accepting of the LGBTQ+ employees. Hold workshops and seminars to educate them about the queer community issues. You can hire experts to guide them through the process. For instance, a Utah-based company, LGBTQ+ Workplace Education Center offers online courses helping businesses create an inclusive workplace environment.
It can help in raising community awareness and reducing prejudice and discrimination within your organization. Make the employees aware of the new policies you’ve implemented, and ensure they treat their coworkers with the respect they deserve.
4. Use inclusive language
Using inclusive language avoids the exclusion of a particular person or group from the conversation. This allows you to acknowledge the community and shows your respect towards them. You can add an inclusive language policy while reviewing your company laws. Use gender-neutral language as much as possible. For example, try using terms like “spouse” or “partner” instead of “wife” or “husband”.
Do not use wrong pronouns to address a person. Learn the right pronouns and if you’re confused, just ask them. Refer to this guide by NPR to get a better understanding of the gender identity terms.
5. Stick up for your fellow employees
Be an ally to your colleagues and stand up for them wherever necessary. If you hear a co-worker commenting on the sexuality of a queer person behind their back or using homophobic slurs, call them out right there. You should report it to HR to let them know that such behavior is unacceptable.
6. Develop support programs for the LGBTQ+ community
Create a support network for LGBTQ+ employees at your workplace. This will allow sharing of experiences and realize that no one is alone. You can also plan events to show them that you care and support them. It will help to spread positivity and boost their self-esteem.
If someone comes out to you, be welcoming and listen to them. Also, make sure you are respectful towards the person going through a transition. They need your support now more than ever.
It’s 2021, and you are far behind the task of making your workplace more inclusive. However, it’s never too late to take a step towards progress. It might seem overwhelming at first, but with hard work and the right team by your side, you can make the world a better place for the LGBTQ+ community, starting from your own office.
A few months ago, Bangladesh got its first transgender news anchor, Tashnuva Anan Shishir. Read this blog here to know about her. You can check out our blogs on the website.
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