Starting A LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group

[InbetweenDreams]

I came across this on Mastodon (it is an open source social network, kind of feels like Twitter) and today happens to be Coming Out Day and I thought I would share this because I think we ALL should feel comfortable at the workplace and this can be a good way to create resources for LGBTQ+ folks at your workplace...

You can see the original post here:
https://social.librem.one/@jeremiahlee/1...5272038412

Link to the author's blog...
https://www.jeremiahlee.com/posts/lgbtq-erg/

When the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality in 2008, my boyfriend of 5 years and I decided to get married. The CEO of the company I worked at saw a social media post about my upcoming wedding. He started coming by my desk on a regular basis, interrupting my work with increasingly aggressive conversation.

I can't think of much else that would make my blood boil, even in 2008, I find that insane that someone would object to someone else's life to do this...

...He said someone who did not believe in his god could not be a moral person because they lacked a moral rudder. He said all of these things in an open floorplan office while my dumbstruck coworkers remained silent until he left.

One day, I returned from lunch to find tens of Facebook notifications. The CEO had gotten into a fight with my college friends on my Facebook profile. I read the comments and started to tremble. I walked into my manager’s office, closed the door, and showed him my Facebook profile as I began to cry uncontrollably.

Having just graduated from college into the Great Recession, I needed this job. I was great at my job. But the CEO had brought my personal life into the workplace and repeated the same dehumanizing arguments my own religious family had used to decline my wedding invitation. The head of HR persuaded me to not file a discrimination complaint against the CEO by falsely claiming I would need a lawyer, which I could not afford. Despite strong performance reviews and assignment to a critical project for the company, I was part of a tiny layoff a few months later.

All I can say is the author has more self-control than I do. I would be outside in the parking lot going full on "Towanda" if you get the reference to Fried Green Tomatoes.

Anyway, do check out and read the rest of the article and he does provide a charter template to help get you started with a ERG at your workplace. It is something to consider as discrimination against LGBTQ+ people still happens quite a lot today even in the workplace even at more liberal institutions.

[Bhp91126]

Ugh. Terrible story.

I came here to suggest a name for the group: LinkedIn&Out

[InbetweenDreams]

That is a terrible story, very sad that even that recent you had that shit go on and the fact that HR flat out lied about having to have a lawyer. I mentioned this to a co-worker of mine because I thought that might be a neat idea but the reality is that most people probably wouldn't be part of it because some people just aren't out, heck I thought that there could be retaliation if I were to start one. I mean not directly, but you know shit like evaluations, setting you up for failure on a large project, etc. There's a lot of ways to get rid of people that obfuscate discrimination. So that is probably why this probably won't happen where I work anytime soon.

[Adam88]

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to fire people for being gay. These stories frustrate me because every time I hear them I'm forced to doubt their credibility. There are so many people out there who yearn for that victim card so much they make thinks up, or blame their own poor work ethic and subsequent termination on their sexuality. It really sucks because it over shadows people with actual issues because of real bigotry. I used to see this a lot, I never bring my personal life into the workplace, and I've never had any issues. I'll never understand why people will add co-workers to Facebook and the like. It's a recipe for trouble. I've actually called out other gay people for blaming bigotry for their poor work performance, and they lambasted me; "you wouldn't know, you're STRAIGHT!".... oh the irony. I've never talked about my relationships, be it with men or women outside of work in the workplace. If you stick to that, everything works out just fine.

[Chase]

@Adam88

I'm pretty sure it's actually legal in like, half the USA: https://freedomforallamericans.org/states/

[InbetweenDreams]

So the answer is to just keep it to yourselves guys. Don't talk about your partner because it might bother the straight people with your homosexual lifestyle. Note that Jeremiah's story took place in 2008, this is at a time were you could be fired for being gay in most of the US. It wasn't until last year when the supreme court ruled that employers can't fire you for being gay. That being said, the idea that straight people can talk about getting married, their kids, their spouse and so forth but because I'm gay I'm expected to keep my mouth shut is fucking bullshit.

[ChadCoxRox]

The progress for employment protections remains very slow in the states. There's references to protections drawing increasing attention in public media, but the actual results in the actual law remains covertly discriminatory. Fairly easy net search.

[Adam88]

 That being said, the idea that straight people can talk about getting married, their kids, their spouse and so forth but because I'm gay I'm expected to keep my mouth shut is fucking bullshit.

 

I agree. They shouldnt be bringing that stuff up either. It's unprofessional. Also, no one cares about your kids, John from accounting.

[InbetweenDreams]

Unprofessional? It might be annoying from some helicopter parents but I wouldn't call it unprofessional. I mean if you hate interoffice banter and socializing, consider places like Latavia or maybe Poland...I hear they might leave the EU.

The fact of life is if you work, you're going to socialize with co-workers. That does often go beyond talking about the weather and sports. This isn't Russia we're talking about.