How to be a good LGBTQ+ ally in the workplace
Myles Hanlon talks to the Lowdown and gives his top tips to be a good LGBTQ+ ally in the workplace.
How to be a good LGBTQ+ ally in the workplace
For many LGBTQ+ people, opening up about their sexuality or gender identity in the workplace isn’t easy. As an openly gay man, my first thought when joining a new organisation is whether or not my colleagues will respond positively to my orientation. In the first few days and weeks of starting a new role, I find that I have to watch what I say and how I behave until I can see active LGBTQ+ allies in the workplace.
It’s crucial that LGBTQ+ people are given the same opportunities as non-LGBTQ+ members of staff and feel genuinely included. This isn’t possible without LGBTQ+ allies, who help to create a safe and inclusive working environment for LGBTQ+ people to thrive.
If you’d like to know more about being a good LGBTQ+ ally in the workplace, here are my five top tips.
Be visible and vocal about supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Being a good ally means actively standing up for and showing a visible commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ people. You can do this by joining the LGBTQ+ network, encouraging your colleagues to go to a coffee morning to celebrate Pride, or by wearing a rainbow lanyard. Showing that you actively champion LGBTQ+ identities can encourage your LGBTQ+ colleagues to feel more comfortable and included within the organisation.
2. Educate yourself and ask questions.
If you’re unsure about how to speak about LGBTQ+ issues in the workplace, be proactive and read up on some of the issues. Showing that you want to learn more about the community and the ways in which you can stand up for LGBTQ+ people will be noticed and supported. There are some great online resources to help you, but if you’re still unsure you can speak to an LGBTQ+ colleague. They will be pleased to know that you would like to support them and learn more about the community, and so do ask them if you’re unsure about how to speak about a particular issue.
3. Challenge yourself and others.
We will all be familiar with hearing ‘that’s so gay’ being shouted across the corridors at school, but it’s crucial to challenge people who use language like this. Often people will say they are ‘only joking’, but these phrases carry a lot of negative connotations for some LGBTQ+ people and shouldn’t be said, especially in the workplace. If you’re comfortable with addressing someone’s language at the time, that’s great! But it isn’t always easy. If you’re around others, perhaps wait for an opportunity to approach them separately and challenge them on why they used the language they did. Allyship is about being vocal and standing up for the LGBTQ+ community, and hurtful language against LGBTQ+ people should be challenged.
4. Showcase your gender pronouns.
This might seem like a simple act of allyship and, generally, it is! If you’re able to include your pronouns after your name on Zoom or somewhere in your email signature, it’s often seen as a mark of solidarity for transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people who may not feel comfortable with sharing their gender identity at work. Showcasing your pronouns allows your colleagues to know how they should refer to one another without misgendering someone. If you identify as a binary gender and use he/him or she/her pronouns, showcasing these can help those who use different ones like they/them be addressed correctly without having to discuss their gender identity if they don’t feel comfortable doing so.
5. Champion and centre the voices of LGBTQ+ people.
When you’re supporting LGBTQ+ people at work as an ally, it’s important to acknowledge your own privilege. It can be easy to forget to give LGBTQ+ people the space they need to raise and discuss the issues they face in the workplace. Allyship is crucial to LGBTQ+ people being fully included in an organisation, but it’s also important to know when to step back and listen to your LGBTQ+ colleagues and give them the space to speak, rather than to speak for them.
