How to Support Lgbtqia+ Inclusion in the Workplace

Change the system, not the individuals. This trans day of visibility, I encourage organizations to change their environments for transgender & gender diverse (TGD) inclusion. 🗺 Co-design workplace initiatives, practices and experiences with transgender & gender diverse (TGD) folks. Pay, recognise and reward them for this unique and vital contribution. This is not volunteer work, this is a form of research, this is culture building, this is experience design. This has an emotional tax so pay the bills. 🛑 Drive a zero tolerance approach for all forms of transphobia. Clearly define what’s a teachable moment (i.e. make a mistake, acknowledge it, apologize, aim to not make the same mistake, show growth) and what’s a sackable moment. Embed this into your code of conduct, policies, practices, training and values/behaviors efforts. Hiring? Here are Some Specific Edits at “Joining” Stage of the Employee Lifecycle. Systems: Review all systems and forms where gender markers and pronouns are asked. What options do you provide? What comes next and is it an ID/verification check? If so, what happens when someone’s government name and documentation doesn’t match their name on file? Can this be avoided and if not, are you teams trained on inclusive customer/employee experience? If a candidate is likely to meet 4-5 people during the hiring process, how will you ensure you limit the risk of them being misgendered or deadnaming occurring? See Envato example in comments. Process: Review your recruitment practices end to end with TGD employees and/or experts. Where you think you are being equal, you may need to consider where it is necessary to be equitable. Sameness isn't fairness. This includes when you collect information and why, unbiased interviews and selection practices and making sure your role descriptions and selection criteria are robust and line up otherwise, it’s left to “gut feel” and bias will come into play. Not all trans colleagues or candidates are out at work, and no two trans people will have an identical journey or transition. So remember to treat everyone uniquely, and without bias. Language: De-gender your targets, adverts and language. Use “they/them” as a default. Ensure you have 40/40/20 targets not 50/50 gender targets as nothing tells a non-binary colleague they aren't welcome in the exec team more than a target that literally denies their existence. Demonstrate: Show candidates not tell them. On your careers page, adverts and key hiring process points remind candidates that they can access someone in your team who is trained and aware of the barriers trans and gender diverse people face through the application process, and in work. See: Coles example in comments. Leverage (and credit) some great trans-led organizations who are specialists in this work. I’ll drop examples in the comments. What would you add?

🏳️🌈 What does effective allyship look like to you? 🏳️⚧️ As we continue to strive for inclusivity and diversity in the workplace, it's crucial to reflect on what it means to be an effective ally to our LGBTQ+ colleagues. Allyship isn't just about words, it's about action and genuine support. To me, effective allyship means actively listening to the experiences and needs of LGBTQ+ people, educating ourselves on their challenges and triumphs, and taking tangible steps to create a more inclusive environment. Here are some pieces of advice for professionals looking to be good allies to their LGBTQ+ co-workers: 📚 Educate Yourself Take the time to educate yourself on LGBTQ+ issues, terminology, and history. Resources such as articles, books, and workshops can provide valuable insights and help you better understand the experiences of your colleagues. 👂 Listen and Learn Create space for open and honest conversations with LGBTQ+ people. Listen to their perspectives, experiences, and needs without judgment. By actively listening, you can gain valuable insights into how to be a better ally. 🗣 Speak Up Use your privilege and voice to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Speak up against discrimination, microaggressions, and harmful stereotypes when you encounter them in the workplace. Your voice can make a difference in creating a more inclusive environment. 🙂 Respect Pronouns and Identities Respect people's pronouns and identities by using the correct names and pronouns they prefer. Avoid making assumptions about someone's gender identity or expression and always ask if you're unsure. 📢 Amplify LGBTQ+ Voices Take proactive steps to amplify the voices and achievements of LGBTQ+ people in your workplace. Recognise their contributions, advocate for their inclusion in decision-making processes, and support their career advancement. 🌈 Be an Active Ally Allyship is an ongoing commitment. Continuously educate yourself, challenge your own biases, and actively support LGBTQ+ initiatives both inside and outside the workplace. By embodying these principles of effective allyship, we can create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. 🏳️🌈 #Allyship #LGBTQ+ #DiversityandInclusion #WorkplaceEquality

How well does your organisation support the LGBTQI+ community? Shape Talent Ltd engaged Dr Ciarán McFadden-Young, Senior Lecturer and researcher on EDI at the University of Stirling, to author a white paper that examines the barriers to LGBTQI+ career progression. This is an adaptation of the research that we conducted into women's career progression, looking through a lens of gender identity and sexual orientation. Addressing systemic barriers is at the heart of our work. You can download our white paper to see the specific recommendations that we make on how organisations can cultivate inclusivity and address the barriers to LGBTQI+ people in the workplace. For those who are time poor, here are the 8 headline recommendations: 𝟏. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. For example, do the childcare and parental leave policies assume a heterosexual employee? Does the workplace have gender-neutral bathrooms? Is a uniform required, and are there only gendered versions? 𝟐. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+ 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. Although there are social, cultural and historical reasons why lesbian women, gay men, bisexual people, trans people and queer people all form one distinct and recognisable collective group, different sub groups experience distinctly different barriers. 𝟑. 𝐄𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Organisations should have clear and well communicated anti-discrimination and harassment policies, provide anti-discrimination training, and engage in cultural audits to uncover any potential informal issues 𝟒. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰. This is particularly important for multinational organisations operating in very different regions with different legislative norms. 𝟓. 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬. Training and development can be offered to help demystify common concerns, clarify the terminology used in discussions about LGBTQ+ identities, and in many cases offer a starting point for conversations on LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. 𝟔. 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧. A policy should, where possible, have input from those it seeks to protect or promote inclusion for. 𝟕. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬. While your organisation may have excellent inclusion and anti-discrimination policies, it’s important that your employees are made aware (and reminded) of them. 𝟖. 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞. In June of each year, more and more organisations are accused of ‘pink-washing’ or ‘rainbow-washing. It is a form of performative allyship. Ensure your work extends throughout the year and is meaningful. #WorldPride2024 #Pride2024 #ThreeBarriers https://lnkd.in/erD9a3Sy

Standing with trans* employees: more than words, it’s action. Recent rhetoric and policies have undermined the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals, but let me be clear: trans rights are human rights. As workplaces, and as individuals, we have a responsibility to stand in solidarity with our trans colleagues. The workplace should be a space where everyone feels valued and safe to thrive—not an environment where identity becomes a barrier. Here’s how we can take action, together: 💼 In the Workplace Update Policies: Ensure anti-discrimination policies explicitly protect gender identity and expression. Inclusive Facilities: Provide gender-neutral restrooms and inclusive healthcare benefits. Education: Train staff on trans awareness and allyship to foster a culture of respect. Celebrate Voices: Amplify and centre trans and non-binary employees in decision-making and leadership. 🤝 As Individuals Use Correct Pronouns: Take the time to ask and use them consistently. Speak Up: Call out transphobic behaviour or rhetoric, even when it’s uncomfortable. Listen and Learn: Seek out stories, resources, and perspectives to better understand trans experiences. Normalise Support: Share and support trans inclusion initiatives in your networks. 📢 Now Available: A Good Practice Guide to Trans Inclusion I’m proud to share this guide, co-developed with over 20 trans and non-binary engineers with InterEngineering, National Grid and Stonewall back in 2017. It’s packed with actionable steps to create workplaces where everyone can thrive. 💡 Download the guide, share it widely, and start a meaningful conversation in your organisation. Together, we can create workplaces that embrace inclusion, not just as a policy, but as a practice. When we act as allies and advocates, we make inclusion possible—not just as a buzzword, but as a standard. Let’s build a future where everyone belongs. 🌈 #TransRightsAreHumanRights #WorkplaceInclusion #TransInclusionGuide

To save trans inclusion efforts, let's stop chasing bad actors and instead leverage the following strategies to de-polarize Trans inclusion and improve outcomes for all: 🎬 First, when it comes to programming, let's leverage storytelling more than we leverage hard facts/data. Hitting a skeptical leader over the head with the suicidality rate for Trans youth is not going to make them wake up. In fact, it will likely make them double down on their existing beliefs because someone in polarization (your Uncle Bob for example) can only take in facts and data that support their ~existing~ world view. It's much easier to see ourselves in someone's personal story. This explains the power of a strong Coming Out Panel. We need stories from trans people but also stories from parents who have trans kids, straight white men who are working to disrupt toxic masculinity and anyone who is disrupting conventional gender expectations. By building an intersectional coalition of people negatively impacted by gender norms, we can better advocate for the outcomes we want. 💇♀️ Second, we need to provide opportunities for non-LGBTQ people to explore their own gender rather than another vocab lesson about pronouns. My most successful facilitation question is "Tell me about the first time you performed gender incorrectly?" When you give men and women the space to explore how their family of origin, school system and culture set them up with restrictive gender expectations, it helps them realize that, "Oh, this isn't about trans people. This is about my right to define who I am and express who I am without consequences. I have something at stake here." ⛓️ Third, we need to tie Trans inclusion into our organization's core values. If our values are "excellence" and "innovation," then Trans team members being excluded from contributing our talents and ideas fully due to intentional misgendering, hiring and advancement bias and being unable to access healthcare aren't just instances of trans exclusion, they invalidate who we say we are as an organization. Leaders need to see that THEY are living out of alignment with THEIR stated core values. By helping leaders go into that moral and cognitive dissonance, the desire to change and the desire for action emerges 🌎 Finally, we need to connect Trans inclusion to the systems that need to change to improve outcomes for ALL employees. I guarantee you that Trans people are not the only group who worry about fair promotions. When we set a broader goal of "eliminating bias in performance reviews by implementing structured rubrics and training managers on providing feedback" we can build systems that are free of bias for ALL employees. By leveraging these approaches we shift the goal from "how to we stop those 1 or 2 bad actors" to "how do we create a workplace where everyone has what they need to thrive." I find the latter to be much more exciting and well within our reach. ❤️

HR leaders: Transgender Day of Visibility is over. Here's your playbook on what to do next. Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) isn’t a campaign. It’s a compliance, culture, and leadership test. It's not about whether you have out employees in the workplace, or about tokenizing the one trans employee you do have. TDOV is a call to action. For most companies, recognizing TDOV on March 31 each year often presents as a generic social media post or internal message. But for trans employees, the real question is: Does this workplace actually work for me? The workplace data is clear: – Nearly 1 in 2 transgender people have experienced workplace discrimination or harassment (National Center for Transgender Equality) – 27% reported being fired, denied a promotion, or not hired due to their gender identity (NCTE) – 46% of LGBTQ+ workers are not out at work, often due to fear of negative consequences (McKinsey & Company) If you’re in HR, you have direct influence over whether those numbers change. Here are 3 ways HR leaders can show real allyship through systems, not statements: 1. Audit your policies & systems. Start with the basics: – Do your human resource management systems allow employees to update names & pronouns without barriers? – Are your benefits inclusive of gender-affirming care? – Do your policies explicitly protect gender identity & expression? Trans people shouldn't have to jump through hoops to be themselves in the workplace. If inclusion requires exceptions, workarounds, or case-by-case approvals, it’s not inclusion. It’s a risk. 2. Train managers to lead, not react. Most workplace harm happens at the manager level - not because of bad intent, but lack of clarity. HR managers can level up the workplace environment when they equip managers with: – Clear guidance on pronouns & respectful communication – Protocols for team transitions (without outing or overexposing employees) – Confidence to address inappropriate behavior in real time Language matters. These communication skills transfer to everyday conversations & situations, regardless of topic. If your managers don’t know what to do, your employees feel it. 3. Build psychological safety into everyday operations. This isn’t about one ERG event or celebrating a single awareness day. Psychological safety looks like: – Consistent use of inclusive language across internal comms – Clear reporting pathways that employees trust – Accountability when policies are violated The truth is, people don’t stay where they feel "tolerated." They stay where they feel safe & respected. This happens through policies, language, and workplace culture. HR doesn’t just shape policy. It shapes whether people can show up fully... or not at all. A TDOV post or event is a good start, but these 3 steps will help you continue your allyship into April & beyond. If you don't have these systems in place already, now is a great time to take action. If you’re serious about inclusion, THIS is the work.

Yesterday was National Coming Out Day. When I came out as queer to my parents, I was told I was unloving, unkind, and selfish. So when companies expect queer employees (especially those raised in cultures where queerness is illegal or grounds for disownment) to “just be themselves” at work because you said it’s safe, I have to ask: What actions are you taking to prove that the harm many of us faced at home won’t be repeated in your workplace? Here are tangible steps to bridge the gap between intention and impact: 1. Normalize pronouns in email signatures. If non-queer employees or those who “don’t believe in pronouns” resist, ask them to consider the difference between discomfort and danger. Discomfort is not the same as harm, and the more privilege someone holds, the more they may confuse the two. Who is actually at risk here? 2. Audit your leadership. Are there openly queer people in decision-making roles? If most LGBTQIA+ employees are individual contributors, it’s time to be intentional about hiring and promotion practices. 3. Invest in real support. Put your money where your mouth is: make sure your health insurance plans covers gender-affirming care, offer therapy stipends, train managers in inclusion, let employees choose unisex or preferred-fit swag, compile a list of local LGBTQ+ resources, establish a queer ERG, and make your stance on inclusion public. 4. Align your branding with your values. Look at your website, social media, and office artwork. Whose faces and identities are visible? Do queer people see themselves represented or erased? 5. Hold leadership accountable. Representation at the top matters. But silence and apathy from those with power may be even more damaging. How is your white, straight, cis male CEO learning about systems that harm queer employees? How is your board of mostly men with stay-at-home partners creating space for a lesbian couple working two jobs while trying to adopt? How us your executive team that has no visibly queer representation remembering to put their pronouns in their signatures when no one is there to challenge them otherwise? You can’t ask queer people to “self-care” their way out of systems that were never designed to include them. ---------- Need help creating real accessibility and inclusion at work? That’s what I help companies do - through Universal Design, Disability Justice, and Intersectional strategy. Let’s make your workplace one where everyone can thrive.

The first Pride was an absolute riot. No like ... literally. In June 1969, patrons of the Stonewall Inn rioted against harassment and police brutality. Black and brown, trans, queer, sex workers, and allies used their collective voice to protest the voice to protest the nightly raids, discriminatory arrests, and systemic violence that targeted their very existence. That spontaneous uprising ignited a movement. And here we are, 56 years later, with much of the same work ahead of us. As a CMO, talking about our brand's “values” without action is hollow. We are stewards of the brand. And what is brand but your values in action? CMOs are responsible for making sure our insides match our outsides; our internal policies must be in alignment with our external messaging. Without those two in harmony, you're building a brand that's pandering and performative. If you're a CMO or an executive looking for a roadmap to support your LGBTQIA+ employees, here are a few places to start: 1. Review Benefits & Policies: Make sure your health plan covers gender-affirming care—hormone therapy, surgeries, and mental‐health support. Offer parental leave and family-building benefits that recognize adoption, surrogacy, and chosen family structures. 2. Advocate Externally: Publicly back legislation that protects LGBTQIA+ rights—anti‐discrimination laws, marriage equality, and transgender healthcare access. Partner with established LGBTQIA+ organizations to amplify their advocacy and fundraising efforts. 3. Elevate LGBTQIA+ Voices Internally: Fund and empower your LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group—give them budget, executive sponsorship, and a seat at planning tables. Host educational sessions on pronoun usage, unconscious bias, and the history of Stonewall so every employee understands what Pride stands for. 4. Audit Your Hiring & Advancement Practices: Scan job descriptions for biased language; explicitly encourage LGBTQIA+ candidates to apply. Develop mentorship or sponsorship programs aimed at retaining and promoting LGBTQIA+ talent. Explore the diversity of your executive team. Does your team represent the demographics of the employee and customer populations you serve? 5. Sustain Support Beyond June Celebrate other important dates—Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), BIPOC Pride (July), Bi+ Awareness Week (September), World AIDS Day (December 1)—to show ongoing commitment. Regularly survey your LGBTQIA+ employees about belonging, psychological safety, and workplace improvements. Pride began as a riot because people refused to be erased. And here we are, holding positions of power and privledge, out here still refusing to be erased. How is your company putting Pride into practice—beyond June? I’d love to hear real actions (and hold each other accountable) to build truly inclusive, courageous organizations.

If you think sexuality has no place at work, this post is for you. It’s Pride Month, and I’ll be speaking with teams about LGBTQ inclusion. At almost every session, someone will ask some version of: “Why do we have to talk about this at work?” The simple answer is we already do. But let’s start with a few things that might’ve happened at work just yesterday: You’re waiting for a meeting to start. Someone asks, “How was your weekend?” You spent it with your partner’s family but not everyone on this call knows you’re gay, so you stay quiet. Your team is reviewing new benefits. The language only refers to heterosexual families, so you’re left unsure if fertility, bereavement, or parental leave policies even apply to you. Your team is heading to a conference. You’re the only one delayed at security because your legal ID doesn’t match your name or gender. These aren’t rare or extreme situations. They’re everyday experiences for LGBTQ people. And they’re exhausting. The constant calculation of what's safe to say, what's too much, what will be thought of as "unprofessional" takes up valuable energy. It limits our ability to connect and trust our teams. It impacts our well-being and our ability to perform. So, why do we have to talk about sexuality at work? Because we already are. Every time we talk about families, benefits, weekends, travel, we’re talking about it. During Pride Month, we’re not introducing something new. We’re just making visible the experiences of LGBTQ team members and the extra burdens we may carry. We’re highlighting the assumptions we make and who we leave out when we make them. This isn't about special treatment. This isn't about "politics." This is about how we care for our people. This is about building strong, innovative, high-performing teams where everyone, including LGBTQ people, can thrive. Caring about your people is caring about your business. We want to bring our best to work but we can't do that if we're asked to leave the best parts of ourselves behind. Use this pride month to have these conversations. Review your policies. Host the trainings. Reinforce that everyone on your team will be treated with dignity and respect. Make it explicit. This doesn't have to be complicated but it is intentional. Your teams will thank you. And if you need support, DM me. I've got just a few open slots for pride this month.

Inclusion isn’t a one-time initiative or a single program—it’s a continuous commitment that must be embedded across every stage of the employee lifecycle. By taking deliberate steps, organizations can create workplaces where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. Here’s how we can make a meaningful impact at each stage: 1. Attract Build inclusive employer branding and equitable hiring practices. Ensure job postings use inclusive language and focus on skills rather than unnecessary credentials. Broaden recruitment pipelines by partnering with diverse professional organizations, schools, and networks. Showcase your commitment to inclusion in external messaging with employee stories that reflect diversity. 2. Recruit Eliminate bias and promote fair candidate evaluation. Use structured interviews and standardized evaluation rubrics to reduce bias. Train recruiters and hiring managers on unconscious bias and inclusive hiring practices. Implement blind resume reviews or AI tools to focus on qualifications, not identifiers. 3. Onboard Create an inclusive onboarding experience. Design onboarding materials that reflect a diverse workplace culture. Pair new hires with mentors or buddies from Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to foster belonging. Offer inclusion training early to set the tone for inclusivity from day one. 4. Develop Provide equitable opportunities for growth. Ensure leadership programs and career development resources are accessible to underrepresented employees. Regularly review training, mentorship, and promotion programs to address any disparities. Offer specific development opportunities, such as allyship training or workshops on cultural competency. 5. Engage Foster a culture of inclusion. Actively listen to employee feedback through pulse surveys, focus groups, and open forums. Support ERGs and create platforms for marginalized voices to influence organizational policies. Recognize and celebrate diverse perspectives, cultures, and contributions in the workplace. 6. Retain Address barriers to equity and belonging. Conduct pay equity audits and address discrepancies to ensure fairness. Create flexible policies that accommodate diverse needs, including caregiving responsibilities, religious practices, and accessibility. Provide regular inclusion updates to build trust and demonstrate progress. 7. Offboard Learn and grow from employee transitions. Use exit interviews to uncover potential inequities and areas for improvement. Analyze trends in attrition to identify and address any patterns of exclusion or bias. Maintain relationships with alumni and invite them to stay engaged through inclusive networks. Embedding inclusion across the employee lifecycle is not just the right thing to do—it’s a strategic imperative that drives innovation, engagement, and organizational success. By making these steps intentional, companies can create environments where everyone can thrive.