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The Rainbow Clause:
Giving us the right to choose who; where; when; why; and how.
Coming Out of the Supply Closet
How social networks can help gays and lesbians
feel more accepted in the workplace
The climate of the American workplace is changing.
Companies that want to recruit the best candidates are offering domestic
partnership benefits to gay and lesbian employees. Managers are offering
diversity training and are encouraging inclusiveness. Recent college graduates,
many of whom were out in college, are continuing to be out at work. Still,
it can be difficult for gay employees to know exactly who they can talk to
about their private lives. Even something as small as whether to put your
partner's photo on your desk becomes a major decision. Torn between needing
their jobs and needing to express themselves openly, the workplace can be
awkward and tense.
To counteract this, many gay and lesbian employees
are starting organizations within their companies that offer peer support
and work to create a more accepting company culture. These groups often start
small, as social engagements like lunch or dinner, with two or three colleagues
who are out to each other and want a chance to talk away from the office.
Many groups remain at this level of informality, perhaps growing by
word-of-mouth, and staying focused on social activities. Others take on a
more formal role and become a recognized employee group.
Getting Started
If you and your colleagues are interested in
forming a Gay and Lesbian Employee Group, your first stop should be the Office
of Human Resources. (In some cases, depending on your relationship with your
direct supervisor, he or she may be the best person to approach first.) Explain
your interest in forming the group and what you hope it will accomplish.
American companies are very sensitive to the consequences of discrimination.
Employees who feel they have been mistreated may leave the company, causing
costly recruitment and training to be wasted, or may even file a law suit.
It is in your company's best interest to help lesbian and gay employees feel
more comfortable in their surroundings. If your proposal is presented in
a respectful and professional way, it is likely that you will have the support
of management in no time.
Gaining the support of senior management is
essential. You may wish to use public company bulletin boards, newsletters
or e-mail to recruit participants and it will be important to have the backing
of management in doing this. Should you encounter any harassment as a result
of your involvement in this group, you will already have management on your
side and will be able to bring an end to that harassment quickly.
What is Your Goal?
Your purpose in organizing this group may be
simply to provide a social outlet for gay and lesbian employees who feel
isolated. If this is the case, then you may wish to hold the majority of
your events outside of the office during the evening or on weekends. This
is a particularly good strategy if you want to retain a level of anonymity
for those who are not quite ready to be out at work.
However, most employee groups, in addition to
social events, work to change company policies and to promote a more inclusive
workplace environment. If your group has particular goals in mind such as
establishing domestic partnership benefits or instituting diversity training
that focuses on gay issues, then you have a valid reason to hold meetings
during business hours. Keep in mind that if your group will have a certain
level of visibility then it may be more difficult to recruit participants.
Holding meetings off-site will allow more people to participate without fear
of discovery.
Identifying yourself as gay or lesbian in the
context of the workplace can be nerve wracking. Whether you are new to a
company or have been there for years, an employee group focused on the needs
of gay and lesbian employees can make the transition from closeted to open
a little easier. For more resources on how to be out at work, visit
www.lamdalegal.org.
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