It is exciting that more and more businesses are looking at and investing in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as an important part of workplace culture and the hiring process. Today, diversity is a vast topic. The conversations now include race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability and other marginalized identities.
We welcome employers’ commitment to creating workplaces that are welcoming and supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) employees. Still, substantial barriers exist.
It’s important to examine what policies, programs and workplace climate initiatives will honestly deliver equitable work environments for all LGBTQ identities, without losing sight of marginalized groups.
5 best practices
1. Put it in writing: If you want to show you are serious about tackling discrimination in your organization, it is essential that you have formal policies that not only name sexual orientation and gender identity as protected against discrimination, but that you actively celebrate diversity in the workplace, as well as spell out what is expected behavior of all employees.
2. Use gender neutral language: When addressing groups of people, use inclusive language, like y’all, folks, or talented people, for example, rather than ladies and gentleman. When reviewing policy, be mindful of gendered language as well. It is now accepted practice to use “they” as a singular gender neutral pronoun in place of he and/or she. Honor the employee’s chosen names and pronouns, regardless of legal status. Legally changing names is a significant barrier for many trans and non-binary individuals. Finally, review any dress codes. Rather than stating what is appropriate and professional dress for men and women, why not state that all employees must dress to meet professional standards, without dictating whether people should wear skirts or pants.
3. Create inclusive benefits: To make sure your benefits package meets the needs of LGBTQ employees, it is important to understand their specific needs related to medical coverage, parental leave, bereavement, etc. At the most inclusive workplaces, benefits packages include coverage for drugs related to HIV/AIDs (including PrEP) and coverage for transition related costs (including gender affirmation surgery).
4. Implement diversity training: Organization-wide training should include a review of discrimination and harassment policies, education on the use of respectful (versus harmful) language, and detail how your organization will support an employee who has experienced and/or witnessed discrimination and/or harassment. Managers should be invested in the care and well-being of those who work for them and are responsible for ensuring their teams interact in a professional and respectful manner.
5. Support employee resource groups: ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups made up of individuals who join together based on common interests, backgrounds or demographic factors such as gender, race or ethnicity. They provide safe places for people to meet, support each other and talk about issues related to their identity.
Gia Drew is program director for EqualityMaine, which was founded in 1984. She can be reached at gdrew@equalitymaine.org.
