Discrimination of the LGBTQ at the Workplace

The focus of my research is on the discrimination of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer gender (LGBTQ) community in the workplace. The focus on this subject concerning this group of gender and sexual minorities is informed by the realization that discrimination at the workplace has negative effect on the motivation and engagement of employees (Williams & Giuffre, 2011). Moreover, stigma based on gender or sexual orientation is an impediment to more people freely expressing their sexual and gender preferences (Ecker, 2017). To this level I have been able to make significant progress with regard to my project having recently completed the data collection process. In essence, I have successfully managed to schedule and conduct two interviews that will provide me with important data for analysis. I am looking forward to analysis and interpretation of the data in context in order to get a better understanding of the sociological dynamics in play. 

2. The data collection process involved conducting two interviews with two member of the LGBTQ community. Of note is that both interviews were conducted with great assistance from the CSUSM LGBTQ community center that was helpful in helping me identify cooperative interviewees. The first interview was conducted with a sales person supervisor who is a member of the LGBTQ community by virtue of being lesbian. The interview was a semi-formal, preplanned interview that I conducted at a venue near the place of work of the interviewee. Before conducting the interview, I had wrote a letter to the prospective interviewee stating the purpose for which I needed to conduct the interview and requesting their participation in the same. From the outset, I made it clear that the purpose of the interview was purely academic and the information provided would in no way submitted to her employer or used for other job evaluation purposes. Moreover, I made it clear from the letter that confidentiality and professionalism would be maintained throughout the process. The interview lasted about forty minutes and the response from the interviewee was great enabling me to collect useful data. 

The second interview was an informal, conversational type of an interview. With the help from the CSUSM LGBTQ community center, I was connected to an Informational Technology expert who is a member of the community by virtue of being gender queer. The interview was scheduled through a telephone conversation and later I got the chance to meet the interviewee in person for the interview. The interview, which was conducted at the CSUSM LGBTQ community center lasted slightly over half an hour and I was able to record the whole conversation before transcribing it to the main points. Given that the interviewee had quit two previous jobs that appeared not to be friendly to the gender identification the interviewee identified with, the interview yielded important data on aspects of LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace. Confidentiality and professionalism were ensured throughout the data collection process. 

3. The first learning point for me during the interviews was that discrimination at the workplace affects employee motivation. As aforementioned, the second interviewee cited unfavorable working environment for his gender identity as the main reason why he quit two previous employments. In response to my question on why the interviewee quit, the response was: 

“… I felt a sense of stigmatization with regard to socialization and respect accorded to me in the workplace thereby affecting my motivation, engagement and productivity at work. …for me it gave me a sense of not being welcomed at the workplace and so I had to quit.” 

The other learning point for me was that discrimination against one member of the LGBTQ community affects other members of that community. This was clear in the context of the first interviewee. For instance, in response to why she decided to eventually come out about her sexual orientation, the interviewee responded by saying: 

“I was reluctant to disclose my sexual preference because I did not want to experience any favoritism or discrimination during the process of recruitment or during the working process. I wanted to concentrate on my job and be graded based on merit and performance only. However, about eight months into the job a colleague at the workplace who is LGBTQ invited us for his wedding and the reception that he got from the workplace is what made me come out as well.” 

In this regard, I feel that the data I gathered from the interviews was good data that if linked to a sociological framework will be helpful in the understanding of the sociological underpinnings of workplace discrimination for the LGBTQ community. 

4. During the interviews, I tried to cover as much content as I had intended. However, if I was to get another opportunity with the interviewees, there are a number of areas I would have liked to know more about. The first would be if they have been involved in any activities within the law if applicable to their state to fight against the discrimination of the LGBTQ community in the workplace. Secondly, I would wish to know the role, if any that support centers such as the CSUSM LGBTQ community center play in the fight for equality in the workplace for everyone regardless of gender or sexual preferences. Finally, I would wish from the second interviewee if quitting his job was the best solution to the discrimination in the workplace instead of fighting for a solution to end the discrimination altogether. What impact did his move have on the other LGBTQ community employees in his workplace? 

5. The topic of workplace discrimination among the LGBTQ community can be linked to a number of sociological frameworks. However, the framework of functionalism appears to be the most prevalent in the specific context. According to this framework, the functioning of a society as a whole is dependent on the interdependence of functioning of each part. In this regard, the workplace is a complex sociological set up that is made up of people with differences in views and character about various sociological aspects. In essence, the workplace has people of differing sexual and gender preferences, to which the LGBTQ community belongs. In order for the workplace to remain functionally stable, the input of all its components needs to be streamlined irrespective of whether they are LGBTQ or not. As such, from a functionalistic perspective discrimination against the LGBTQ at the workplace needs to be eradicated if the workplace community is to function in a stable way. 

Interview Guide 

What has been your experience been like in the workplace given that you are LGBTQ? 

How would you say your coworkers have treated or are treating you compared to your other colleagues who are not LGBTQ? 

Have you ever felt that you were given or denied a job or a promotion at any places you’ve worked based on your gender and sexual preference? 

Do you feel your sexual preference has benefited at the workplace in any situation? 

What is your parting shot regarding the whole issue of discrimination of the LGBTQ community in the workplace in general? 

Interview Write Up 

Interview 1 

What has been your experience been like in the workplace given that you are LGBTQ ? 

Well, for me working at my current place of work has been of a mixed experience from an LGBTQ point of view. Just to mention, I have worked in that company for two and a half years most of which have been great but with numerable challenges as well. When I joined the company as a sales officer, I did not initially disclose my sexual orientation but I came out about it after about one year working in the company. Before I became known to my colleagues and supervisors that I am LGBTQ, the work experience through interaction with colleagues and supervisors was so normal just like it was for my non- LGBTQ colleagues. However, when I came out, things changed a bit and I started experiencing some stigma at the workplace. I have tried to cope and with the help of some supportive colleagues I have been able to maintain my productivity at work. 

You said you didn’t initially come out to be LGBTQ at your workplace, what was the motivation to do so ? 

You see, when I applied for my current job, my main reason was to have a source of income in order to support some financial issues I have been having. I was reluctant to disclose my sexual preference because I did not want to experience any favoritism or discrimination during the process of recruitment or during the working process. I wanted to concentrate on my job and be graded based on merit and performance only. However, about eight months into the job a colleague at the workplace who is LGBTQ invited us for his wedding and the reception that he got from the workplace is what made me come out as well. 

Would you expound more on that reception and how it affected the reaction you got when you came out . 

To be honest, the reception he got at the workplace was not so positive. A number of colleagues did not come for the wedding citing various reasons for their absence. However, most of the colleagues, me included were so supportive of him and attended the wedding, which I must say was so colorful and fulfilled. The following working day after the wedding, I came out at the workplace that I was lesbian with the aim of achieving two objectives. The first was to show support to my newly-wedded colleague and the second was to create awareness about the need to be treated equally without being discriminated against at the workplace based on our gender or sexual preference. I lost two close friends because of my action but I made a couple more. By and large, I am proud to be LGBTQ and concentrating in my work is my immediate concern. 

That was so great and brave I must say. So, how would you say your coworkers have treated or are treating you compared to your other colleagues now that they know you are LGBTQ ? 

Like I have mentioned to you before, the interaction with my colleagues at the workplace based on being LGBTQ has been a mixed experience. Since I came out some of my colleagues have stigmatized me in various ways. Most notably is homophobia which I have experience from a section of some colleagues and this has made me loose two close friends I had before coming out. Additionally, some colleagues have been reluctant to consult me on professional matters, a phenomenon that was not observable before I came out on my sexual orientation. On the flip side, most of my colleagues and supervisors have been supportive and nothing much has changed in terms of my interaction with them before and after my coming out as LGBTQ. On my part, as aforementioned my focus is on delivering my targets at the workplace and as such I spend less energy arguing with or convincing people who question my sexual orientation. 

That’s a great attitude and winning spirit right there. So tell me, have you ever felt that you were given or denied a job or a promotion at any places you’ve worked based on your gender and sexual preference? 

Well, just to clarify the job that I am currently working on is my first formal job and as such I have not been exposed very many work environments. In terms of career growth, I earned my first promotion a few weeks before I came out as LGBTQ. The competition was so high with my colleagues having comparable qualifications like I did but I was happy to be given the opportunity to serve at a higher level. After that promotion, two other promotion openings have come up at my workplace, which I applied for. Unfortunately, I did not secure either of the chances to get promoted. In the first case, I felt the selection process was fair as the eventual winner had better academic qualifications and work experience than I did. However, for the second chance, I felt discriminated against because from my assessment, my papers, work experience, and performance at my current role was superior to all the other applicants. For that reason, I attributed my losing the job to my being LGBTQ as one of the three panel members was a colleague who was not pro-LGBTQ. If I had not been LGBTQ, I feel I would have secured the promotion. 

That was so unfortunate. On the flip side, do you feel your sexual preference has benefited at the workplace in any situation ? 

At the workplace perhaps the best benefit I have obtained is to create the awareness for the LGBTQ community which has made it easier for other colleagues to come out as well. Currently, five out the seventy eight employees at my workplace have come out as LGBTQ since I made my sexual orientation known at the workplace. Also, we are in the process of championing for having a gender-neutral restroom at the workplace in order to give the LGBTQ employees at the company a sense of fair treatment. The reception from the management has been great and everything is on course at the moment. Other than that, I don’t see any other way that my gender and sexual preference has placed me at an advantage position in the workplace. 

So, as we conclude what is your parting shot regarding the whole issue of discrimination of the LGBTQ community in the workplace in general? 

At a personal level, I feel a lot of milestones have been attained with regards to equal treatment of the LGBTQ community at the workplace. However, the absence of a nation-wide law that protects against workplace discrimination against the gender and sexual minorities is a major legal loophole that needs to be addressed. Most companies, employers and Americans in general have in the recent past showed increasing acceptance of the LGBTQ community but discrimination of the LGBTQ at the workplace is still alive and well at the present time. Therefore, although the progress is clearly visible, much stills needs to be done for the LGBTQ community to feel they are treated equally at the workplace. 

Thank you very much for your time and cooperation. 

Thank you too. 

Interview 2 

Would you share how the workplace has been for you given that you are LGBTQ? 

My work experience has not been so great given that I am LGBTQ. My personal experience involved at lot of treatment that I deemed as unfair and this I could solely attribute to my gender preference of being gender queer. I have worked at two different companies and unfortunately I had to resign based as the environment in both places would not allow me to work effectively while at the same time maintain and express my gender identity. In that regard, I preferred not to seek employment further and I currently work from home engaging in online work alongside some family business. I live a decent life and express my gender identity 

That was so unfortunate. Would you please expand on the kind of treatment that you deemed to be unfair that made you quit the two jobs you quit. 

Well, I am one person who is never shy about my gender orientation. I disclose it at the earliest moment that I deem fit. As such, given that my profession is in Information Technology and Computers, the two firms I have worked in were IT firms located in my local state. Like I have mentioned, the work environment I got in both places were not favorable for me to express my gender preference. To begin with, both firms did not have gender-neutral restrooms and the efforts I put to have one set up met a lot of resistance as the proportion of the LGBTQ in both firms was relatively small. I was therefore forced to used restrooms that I felt were too gender-specific which is contrary to my belief of gender preference. Secondly, I felt a sense of stigmatization with regard to socialization and respect accorded to me in the workplace thereby affecting my motivation, engagement and productivity at work. In one instance, a colleague who had been paired with me to work on a project asked to be paired with someone else citing that he was not comfortable working with me given her religious background. Although this taken as humorous by other colleagues, for me it gave me a sense of not being welcomed at the workplace and so I had to quit. Also, there were no clear rules at the organizations that barred discrimination of people based on their sexual or gender preferences. 

Other than the work environment, is there a moment or moments at the workplace where you feel you had been given or denied a job or promotion because of your gender preference? 

The thing is, I am ambitious and I put a lot of effort in whatever I set my hand mind to do. Moreover, I believe in my abilities and for that reason I prefer working in environments that really appreciate me and allow me to be myself. Yes, I have been denied a job because of my gender preference. There was this firm to where I applied for a job at one point and for some reason they needed the disclosure of the gender and sexual orientation of all the applicants. To my surprise, there were only two options provided at the check boxes and neither of them related to the gender that I identify with. Respectfully I didn’t check either of the boxes but instead wrote the gender to which I belong to, right below the options provided. Your guess is right as mine that I was not offered the job regardless of having qualified for it. Although I was disqualified on what was cited to me as high level of competition, the religious affiliation of the institution made it clear that they would not employ people of the LGBTQ community as it contravenes their organizational values. 

Did you seek any legal suit for being discriminated against based on your sexual orientation? 

As you may be aware, there is no nation-wide law that prohibits discrimination at the workplace against the LGBT community, with about only 28 states having such laws. I also did not see the need for a legal suit that would probably end not in my favor so I opted just to quit and work from home. 

That’s okay. On the flip side, during your stint at being employed, is there a point when you felt your gender preference gave you an undue advantage and benefited you at the place of work? 

Like I have mentioned to you earlier, my experience in the workplace as LGBTQ has largely been on the bad side. I have not expressly benefited or had any advantage due to my gender orientation, but possible positive from the whole this was that other members of the LGBTQ community were encouraged with more people coming out at the workplace after my action. For a fact, I was recently informed that one firm where I quit due an anti-LGBTQ environment had set up gender-neutral restrooms in the place of work. I consider that as a win and a progress towards a workplace that is free of gender and sexual discrimination. 

As we conclude, other than your own experience what would you say about the state of discrimination of the LGBTQ community in the workplace in general ? 

My personal opinion is that the LGBTQ community still faces a lot of discrimination in workplaces. In as much as we are a minority compared to the other types of sexual preferences, I believe that the workplace should be an environment where nothing else but performance based on merit should be the only factor in play. I acknowledge the fact that over the last decade an increasing number of states are passing laws that prohibit the discrimination against the discrimination of the LGBTQ in the workplace. I am also aware that the proportion of fortune 500 companies that are embracing measures to support the LGBTQ at the workplace is going up with time. But the failure of Congress to pass a national law with regard to this aspect will still be a lee way through which discrimination against the LGBTQ will be perpetuated. 

Thank you very much for your time. 

Thank you too. 

References 

Ecker, L. (2017) Discrimination in Employment Issues for LGBT Individuals American Bar Association Retrieved from https://www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/publications/tyl/topics/sexual-orientation-gender-identity/discrimination-in-employment-issues-for-lgbt-individuals/ 

Williams, C., & Giuffre, P. (2011). From organizational sexuality to queer organizations: Research on homosexuality and the workplace. Sociology Compass, 5(7), 551-563.