A call for unity in the workplace: Observing International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in 2024

Last week, May 17th marked International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia also known as #IDAHOBIT. The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. The date of 17 May commemorates the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

While undeniable progress has been made in the 20 years since the establishment of IDAHOBIT, the day serves as an important reminder of the persistent challenges the LGBTQIA+ community continue to face. The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia is currently celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal. In the UK, the contentious debate that continues around the Cass Review of NHS gender identity services for children and young people of April 2024 demonstrates gender identity services are currently operating in a highly politicised context, unlike almost any other part of the NHS. Further details on the study can be found on the Cass Review website.

In challenge to this landscape, this year’s IDAHOBIT theme is a call for unity: “only through solidarity for each other will we create a world without injustice, where no one is left behind”. While change is required from all areas of society, at JourneyHR we commemorated IDAHOBIT by considering unity at work.?

Creating a world of work without injustice

Statistics from Stonewall demonstrate the workplace is often an area in LGBTQ+ people’s lives where they do not have the same opportunity to thrive:

·?????? One in five LGBTQ+ people were the target of negative comments at work.

·?????? Over a third of LGBTQ+ people feel they need to hide who they are at work.

·?????? One in five feel that being LGBTQ+ limits their job opportunities.

Individuals hiding who they are at work speaks to an upsetting standard where ‘fitting in’ is seen as better than belonging. These disappointing statistics are indicative of feelings of stress, fear and isolation all which have profound on individual’s wellbeing and mental health. Crucially, they demonstrate the urgent call to action required to build safety in workplaces at a minimum and ensure all team members feel valued and respected.

Despite a number improvements since the first results in 2021 the All In Census indicate further progress is required in the UK advertising sector:

·?????? LGBTQ+ employees are more likely to feel consistently anxious in their job (38% vs 28% heterosexual)

·?????? LGBTQ+ employees were more likely to have been made to feel uncomfortable in the workplace (20% vs 13% heterosexual)

·?????? 17% of LGBTQ+ people are likely to leave the industry due to a lack of inclusion or discrimination

33.8% of respondents believe their company is actively taking steps to be more diverse and inclusive, but they need to do more.

The benefits of a diverse team are widely understood, from cognitive and creative diversity to improved profitability. It is vitally important to challenge what authentic action is being taken by workplaces to nurture environments where the team can bring their whole self to work and have their perspectives valued.

Authentic unity

In recent years, organisations have come under increasing scrutiny for ‘rainbow washing’; using LGBTQIA+ symbols and messaging for performative marketing and PR, without genuine support for the rights and issues of the community. With many organisations preparing to update their company logos for Pride month we urge you to use the next two weeks to unpick whether your business inspires authentic unity. When the calendar changes to August and the logo returns to “normal” do we return to an environment where individuals feel underrepresented, marginalised or discriminated against?

Not to diminish the importance of celebration, inclusion must go beyond half-hearted gestures. To create a sense of belonging at a day-to-day level consistent and active allyship is required, built on a culture of honest and vulnerable conversations to dismantle the barriers to inclusion.

To show up authentically for the community companies need to make tangible actions. They need to interrogate their policies, their processes and their benefits. They need to nurture inclusive behaviours. All importantly they need to listen to the needs and concerns of their team consistently, not just on the days their calendar reminds them to.

It can be challenging to navigate change, so we’d like to share some small actions that have supported our clients to open up conversations in this space:

·?????? Encourage your team to share their pronouns in their email signature to promote inclusive language, and ensure correct use of names and pronouns.

·?????? Take the time to consider how you would support a colleague if there were targeted by negative comments at work. Question whether you have a robust policies and processes in place to identify and challenge phobic behaviours and the tools in place to support the wellbeing of victims.

·?????? Review your family leave policies with gender inclusive language to demonstrate same-sex relationships are not disadvantaged by your policies.

As we commemorate International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, let’s take the opportunity to review progress and activate real change. If you need help finding the best way to inspire inclusion, please reach out to the JourneyHR team. As experts in creating great places to work, we will collaborate with you and your business to honestly evaluate your position. Together we can inspire authentic and meaningful change which can empower all your team to truly thrive.