Binary to Unity

Binary doesn’t do nuance. That’s not the idea.

Binary is one or the other. Simple, predictable and easy to categorise. You are either/or. Gay or straight. Male or female. Man or woman. But thanks to those willing to share their stories, we know much more today about identity and the intersections of sex, gender, and sexuality that make up the LGBTQ+ rainbow.

Sex, gender and sexuality have come to be understood as distinct aspects of the self, that can flex and change through life. As much as this new visibility signals progress, where there is nuance there is complexity, and where there is complexity there is potential for exclusion and harm. That is why it is essential for organisational diversity and inclusion to continue to evolve and promote equality for LGBTQ+ people.

A good place to start is to group actions around a Prevent, Protect, Respond strategy (PPR). Preventing harm to performance, health and wellbeing through good policies, clear communication of expectations, and education. Protecting diversity and its benefits relies upon a range of channels and mechanisms to respond appropriately, effectively and quickly to bullying, harassment and discrimination. The goal is to provide a safe working environment and a respectful and inclusive culture.

There is no universal measure of inclusion. So how should we navigate towards an inclusive culture and who is included?

Surveys might enquire how well someone feels they fit in, but how much will the contributors feel that their contribution is welcomed and valued? To really understand what is going on leaders must ask better questions and listen to the experiences of ‘non majority’ groups.

Incivilities and micro-aggressions typically account for many of the exclusionary experiences of LGBTQ+ colleagues. These verbal slights and snubs and insults can be explicit or subtle. Trans and non-binary people could be ‘deadnamed’ (addressed by their former name) or denied use of their chosen pronouns. They might be avoided by colleagues, sidelined from activities, or subject to intrusive questions about their lifestyle, anatomy and their bodies.

Whether intentional or unintentional micro-aggressions communicate hostile, derogatory or negative messages. These may be perceived as small daily occurrences, but their impact is significant which is why recognising and countering them is important.

Those working in the diversity and inclusion field for a while will have reflected that unconscious bias training was not the silver bullet solution that many hoped.

Where bias training went wrong was to focus more on teaching the science and less on what individuals could and should be doing to prevent biased outcomes.

Action here demands more than being an active bystander and calling out obvious discrimination, it requires intervening in those subtle interactions that diminish and exclude LGBTQ+ people. The challenge becomes how to help people to notice these everyday exclusions and encourage them to challenge them constructively.

People need insight and well facilitated story-telling sessions are powerful.

Colleagues benefit from listening to and asking questions of a willing expert in their own lived experience. A film or a speaker series, celebrations and commemorations all help educate about LGBTQ+ journeys, lives and experiences.

When it comes to tools, what people really struggle with is what to say and do in the moment when they see or hear something inappropriate or exclusionary. This might mean speaking up in a group situation, or to a colleague or a manager about their language or behaviour. That all feels risky, but it must happen. Because every time a joke is made at an LGBTQ+ colleague’s expense, or they are mis-named or mis-gendered, or simply left out and it is left unchallenged, it is normalised.

Challenging norms is culture work. Policies set the frame, but everyone must play their part.

First published in theHRDIRECTOR, April, 2023 (Issue 222). Reproduced with permission.