Happy Pride!
If you’re part of the LGBTQI+ community, and maybe even if you’re an ally, you know that there are unique challenges facing this population in the job market. Some folks have an easier time—white gay men, for instance, are more frequently allowed have voices in places of power than, say, black lesbians. As a rule, the further a person gets from being a straight cis white dude, the more barriers there are to the C-suite and other spaces of authority.
And, of course, the people with the biggest hurdles to overcome are trans and nonbinary individuals, who are very much in the press as some sort of terrible scourge, grooming kids and, I don’t know, sacrificing pigeons at midnight, when they’re really just trying to live their lives.
If you’re part of the LGBTQI+ community, the best thing you can do for yourself is to research employers before you apply for positions. Resources like HRC’s Equity Index and employer search page and TransWork can be good starting places, but don’t forget local resources. Your community’s LGBT center will have information and sometimes even lists of employers. BuiltIn.com, a job board focused on tech and startups, publishes a list of supportive employer, and has local job information, as well.
And if you’re an ally, don’t stay silent. If you have a job, learn what your employer does to support LGBT staffer. Most places have nondiscrimination policies, but that’s a bare minimum. What are they doing to ensure people who join the company actually feel welcome and supported? Are there ERGs? Does everyone in a staff meeting turn to Val and ask her what lesbians think of this policy?
It’s not enough to think homophobia and transphobia are bad. (The same is true for all other forms of discrimination, of course.) Workplaces are better if they have more diverse voices, so become an advocate. Ask about having a Safe Zone trainer come in. Download HRC’s Equity Toolkit. Understand unconscious bias and microaggressions. You don’t have to be perfect but it’s worth it to do what you can, when you can.
We’re all in this together, so let’s fight for a better world together.
