So Gay So What

You know those moments when you catch yourself doing something or thinking something so gay that makes you realize how much gay you are? In the past, I didn’t have those moments so frequently, but as the years go by, I am really surprising myself. In a very queer way.

I am currently working on a Research Paper for school (master) about “Diverse Work Environment and LGBT Issues”. I don’t think I can live anymore without putting everything into an LGBT context. It is so important for me to understand the struggles my community have been through and realize how far we came and how much more still need to be conquered. I honestly feel privileged for not having faced discrimination in the workplace. Most of the times, I have been very open and out spoken about who I am, but for most Americans, there is fear. Equality is still an everyday battle for a lot of gays and lesbians in the workforce.

I will be doing a lot of research and I expect to learn a lot. In the mean time, visit Out and Equal website for information about the issue. They are a “pre-eminent national organization devoted to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the workplace”. They have designed a 15 steps guide to those who seek to build a workplace where all individuals know they are equally valued and respected.

Fifteen Steps to an Out & Equal Workplace:

1 - Support and attend the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit.
2 - Establish and support an LGBT Employee Resource Group (ERG).
3 - Provide Domestic Partner Benefits.
4 - Include “sexual orientation” in your company’s EEO policy.
5 - Include “gender identity and expression” in your company’s EEO policy.
6 - Provide LGBT diversity training (i.e. Out & Equal’s Building Bridges program).
7 - Support the LGBT community through corporate giving.
8 - Recruit and develop LGBT employees.
9 - Market to the LGBT community.
10 - Create LGBT-specific advertising.
11 - Provide LGBT Leadership development opportunities.
12 - Develop spousal equivalency policies for LGBT employees.
13 - Include LGBT-owned businesses in your supplier diversity program.
14 - Promote an LGBT-friendly corporate culture.
15 - Share best practices around LGBT workplace issues.

I will be happy to share the result of my paper with those who cares.

The award winner movie “Philadelphia” (1993) is about a young gay lawyer (Tom Hanks) who was fired by his prestigious law firm because he had AIDS. He fights for his reputation, his life and for justice, while confronts prejudice against homosexuals.

Check also:
Pride at Work - http://prideatwork.org/
Out and Equal - http://www.outandequal.org

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