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How LGBT-friendly is your workplace? Are you out at work?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by AlamoCity, Oct 19, 2014.

  1. AlamoCity

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    What is the nature of your job? Are you out at work? Do you live in a state/country with LGBT protections? Are you "protected," but still careful how much you share compared to straight workers?


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    I live in Texas, so I obviously can't get married or be protected against discrimination* for sexual orientation (not that it always matters, but it's good to have the law on the books). I've been seeing what jobs/companies I might be interested in working for and noticed how, aside from colleges and universities and a few private sector employers, few companies have sexual orientation protections in their policies. Plus, there are some employers I'm looking at that have a conservative culture (a couple of banks) and don't necessarily feel threatened, but wonder how I'd feel if the cat is ever out of the bag :lol:.



    *Texas will probably have same-sex marriage years before it has a statewide policy protecting LGBT people from discrimination.
     
  2. Pret Allez

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    Programmer for the State of Montana. Fuck no. Fuck no. I don't trust my coworkers.

    They make jokes about transgender people every couple of months or so...
     
  3. starfish

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    I can't really say, as I this is my second week at this job. The company has a discrimination and harassment policy that covers LGBT folk.

    As for the team, one person I worked with at a previous job and I am out to him. From what I have seen of the team everyone seems pretty cool so I am not worried about it.

    My previous job, I would not classify as LGBT friendly. There were a few LGBT folk there, and I was out to some people. Most people it would not have been an issue with, but there are were a couple of backwards rednecks that would not have been ok with it. Including one of the managers I reported to. Though that was not the reason I left, in fact it did not even come up on the list. Lets just say it was an overall lousy place to work.
     
  4. Kaiser

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    Well, since the public library is kept alive, by the town's tax dollars, it can't legally do too much against LGBT members. But behind closed doors, there is only 9 of us. Three of the nine, are the two directors, who are just above the children's librarian. The head director, as far as I know, has no issue with LGBT issues, but that may because I've never heard them discuss such. As for the assistant director and children's librarian, they aren't anti-LGBT, but they probably aren't pro-LGBT either. I say this, because of their attitude towards anything, be it certain patrons or individuals.

    Of the remaining six, four of them are just basic employees. I am included in these four; though, I'm not there as often as they are. But these three, they seem to be friendly-enough. They don't come off as hateful. But, again, I've yet to hear them really discuss anything, of that nature.

    The last two, are paid volunteers. They're the typical little old ladies, so, it could go either way. They might not have any issue with LGBT issues, or individuals, or they may be the biggest silent bigots ever. No idea, because I hardly ever see them, and when I do, it is usually to drop something off, before heading back to my responsibilities.

    I do know, if we are asked to put fliers/pamphlets on the 'ad table' (as we call it), that we can decide to or not. The few times anything LGBT-related has been handed to us, it has been allowed on the table. This is reassuring, but, there is also the possibility, that this is only allowed, so as not to get involved in any trouble, legally especially.

    For the most part, the very few openly non-heterosexual individuals, that we do have come in, are treated just like everybody else. Amongst the employees, the women tend to be a little more receptive than the men, but the men don't act disgusted, just a little more reserved.

    I'd say, it's friendly-enough there. But it isn't going to be banging the drums, about it.
     
  5. MintberryCrunch

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    I work with a bunch of fellow-college students, and...well, right now I work right alongside my boyfriend ^_^ So there are no secrets there and no one seems to have any problem with me being gay. But I recognize this is in many ways not a "real job". I'm sure it will be different in the future.
     
  6. happydavid

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    I'm a part time cleaner. I've never outed myself because I've not worked there long
     
  7. Blossom85

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    Working in a state government department, equal opportunity for all and so I would say the organization alone is LGBT friendly.. My office actually has openly LGBT staff members. In fact my team leader is openly gay and he has worked his way up from what I do as a customer service representative on the phone to team leader so I would say it is quite friendly. I myself am not out to anyone at work, but only because it is something I am still only just realizing and discovering myself.
     
  8. White Knight

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    It is kinda complicated but I will try to explain.

    I work in a small printinghouse. My boss is also my ex-co-worker. When he wasn't my boss, we had a conversation about a blond guy we're working with... about how I found him attractive... so even he can say I am gay, he definetely knows I am not 100% straight. Now whenever that blond guy mentioned he say "your guy".

    Usually people in here not hateful towards LGBT people but make crude jokes about them... or were making as I've shown my discomfort about those jokes, very soundly in the past, they don't make them anymore... at least not in my ear-shot.
     
  9. Gaysibling

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    We have pretty good legal protection here, and my employer has zero tolerance for bullying or discrimination. I am completely out at work, there are around 70 people in our office including 4 gay men, 1 lesbian and a pansexual female colleague. If anyone in my office is closeted then it is for their own personal reasons, rather than lack of protection. I feel very sad and angry about the lack of protection that so many of you face in your own workplaces.
     
  10. discalcedtierce

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    I'm a substitute organist and an organ student. Some of my fellow students are out. I'm not really out at school, but that's only because I've only re-come out of the closet to myself recently (it's a long story), and slowly to others who didn't know me until after I re-closeted myself.

    Because of the substitute nature of my job (I'm basically a contractor), I am not out to anyone I work for. Depending on the specific church/denomination I'm working for that particular week, the reaction would range from being totally accepting, to indifference, or outright hostility and I probably wouldn't be allowed to work there.
     
  11. OGS

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    I work in financial services with one of the largest firms out there. We have firm anti-discrimination policies in place, the company insures my partner as part of my benefits package. My employer actually pays me slightly more to compensate for the fact that the government taxes the company portion of my partner's insurance where they would not if we were married traditionally--so in a weird way they actually pay me extra because I'm gay.:lol: I'm in a division of the company--financial sales of sorts--which is sort of an old boys club. There frankly aren't a lot of women let alone gay people. As far as I know I am the only out gay person in my division, not just in my office but in my district and market. I'm totally out and it frankly just isn't a problem--my partner comes to events where spouses attend. I usually take time off around Pride and this year I totally forgot and my manager came to me to ask if I needed time off for my "holiday".:lol:

    On a side note you mentioned that only a few private sector employers have protections in place, the fact of the matter is that while many small companies don't in the States almost all of the really large companies out there do.
     
  12. Jenna0780

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    Very. My boss is openly gay. And yes, I am out at work.
     
  13. timo

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    I wish I had a job to be out at.

    I don't know if, or how soon, I would come out after finding a job. It depends on the kind of work, how much I enjoy it, if I plan on staying there for years and mostly how much I like (and trust) my co-workers.
     
  14. TraceElement

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    I work in a group home, and am completely out. My coworkers have an "oh, ok" attitude, and accept me for me. There is also a discrimination policy in my agency.
     
  15. SemiCharmedLife

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    My university is very LGBT-friendly and has won accolades for this. Pretty much all the other students in my grad program know, but I'm not sure about the faculty in my department even though I don't hide it. And I've never said anything to the students in the classes I've taught.
     
  16. AwesomGaytheist

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    My city and my university have anti-discrimination laws/policies that protect both students and employees of the school. Both the jobs I've worked since I've been comfortable coming out, I've been out.
     
  17. CyclingFan

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    There are out gay people where I work. Don't think there'd be too many problems. Some of coworkers are dumb conservatives which might be problematic. Not going to come out there unless I meet someone special and it gets serious.
     
  18. imnotreallysure

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    I'm out at work, and other people are as well (one of the team leaders is a lesbian, as a matter of fact, and is getting married next year). No problems at all.
     
  19. Mickz

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    I'm currently just a waiter and since its a family restaurant and my family is homophobic, So it's not a LGBT friendly workplace at all and I'm not out to them either...
     
  20. greatwhale

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    I live in a province (Québec) that has legislation like this and yet, I am not out at work. In addition, the CEO has openly and publicly stated that this is not an issue, and still I hesitate.

    We have legal protection and I have a sympathetic CEO, and yet it all boils down to one openly homophobic person in this office (we're only 9 people in the company) and that's all it takes to make it complicated to come out here. I'm with CyclingFan on this one: I will come out when I am in a stable LTR, not before. As far as I am concerned, it's none of their business.