October 11 marks National Coming Out Day, a day to support LGBTQ+ members in ‘coming out’. According to statistics produced by Stonewall in 2018, more than a third of LGBTQ+ staff have hidden their identities for fear of discrimination. Almost one in five were also targets of negative comments or conduct due to their identities.
While the world is largely becoming a more tolerant place, it’s not always easy to disclose private information, especially in the work environment. Coming out presents a different challenge to different people. Some don’t see it as an important event, but rather just a part of who they are as a person. However, others may see it as presenting themselves as a target for discrimination. This National Coming Out Day, our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) team spoke to several of our Gemserv colleagues to find out their thoughts and feelings on coming out in the workplace.
What factors determine how important coming out is to you?
One of the least surprising responses to our questions was that everyone believed that coming out at the workplace was important to them. This wasn’t just from the perspective of LGBTQ+ staff, but from the perspective of colleagues encouraging them to be themselves in the workplace. However, this response contrasted against the fact that half of our respondents hadn’t come out at their workplaces.
There are many factors that could affect whether someone decides to come out, including privacy, discrimination, and safety. When asked, the responses from Gemserv colleagues included:
“Safety and potential for discrimination”
“People should not have to feel they need to keep their sexuality a secret if they are uncomfortable doing so.”
“Everyone should be able to feel like themselves around their colleagues and not feel they must hide anything or pretend that they’re something they’re not.”
The overall opinion is that workplaces should give people the freedom to be themselves, and that includes their sexuality or gender identity. Research from TeamStage shows that team building at the workplace benefits individuals and organisations. Of course, as the ED&I team, we believe in making every colleague feel comfortable and included. The social aspect of work is important to many, and feeling fully included in that is a major morale and confidence boost. Ultimately, it’s vital that everyone feels like they’re part of a team that they can feel at home in, and not feel as if they should hide any aspect of themselves, although they have the option if they choose to.
How does the decision to come out, or not come out, affect your working life?
It goes without saying that this is a decision not to be taken lightly. As we’ve seen, both sides of the decision can influence the working life of an individual. We were interested in the personal experience of our colleagues based on their choice:
“I’m not able to be my authentic self.”
“As a manager, it can really help to ensure no faux pas is made and that people feel comfortable in their working environment.”
“I’m personally quite a private person, and I’m not entirely sure that my colleagues will know and appreciate what it means to be non-binary. Not just in the working life, but in everyday life, it’s easier to just pretend that I’m not.”
For two respondents hiding their identity, we can see that it’s difficult in different ways. One common feeling is that neither feel able to be themselves. Whether by privacy choice or feeling unable to, it’s clear that we should support people in feeling more comfortable with disclosing their identity and fostering a safe environment for them to do so. Another potential aspect is either educating staff or promoting existing inclusivity. If there is an already inclusive environment, as there is at Gemserv, then it should be made far more obvious to staff. If there isn’t one, then efforts should be made to foster one. The perspective from a manager makes this clearer – educational steps should be taken to ensure no mistakes are made when it comes to sensitive topics, and everybody should feel comfortable in their environment.
Hopefully this day can allow everyone to come together and help those who may be nervous or reluctant to come out. As a workplace community, it’s vital that we come together to support our colleagues. At Gemserv, our ED&I team has fostered, and continues to grow, an inclusive environment for everyone.
Further support, information and guidance can be found at MindOut.
