News for Out & Equal Certified Trainers

What's the best way for you to learn a new concept or skill? Is it hearing a lecture on it or do you prefer to do the research yourself and find out all the answers? (we do love our Google, don't we?) How about in a classroom? Do you prefer to work in small groups or just want to get to the final test to show you know the materials?  

I recently had a chance to work with a group on some ally scenarios that covered typical workplace situations where LGBT issues might come up--new hires, coming out, being out, benefits briefings, office parties, morning coffee talk. I asked the class to break into 6 groups and they each had one of the above scenarios. They got a chance to review the situation, discuss the issues and come up with some suggestions on how an ally might respond in the situation, or how someone could prevent the scenario from happening. I was really pleased as each group reported out, nailed the concepts in the scenario, provided some great insights into the impacts to the LGBT employee and rest of the team, and provided solutions on how to avoid or step in as an ally.  

I realized that I had a solid basis to see that each person in the class had learned the cultural competency key points from the earlier lectures, and now had the added component; they could apply the theory to real situations. It was hard to get the groups to stop their discussion because they saw tangible connections to being an ally and events in the workplace. Think about how you can use these principles, moving from discussing LGBT workplace equality to creating that environment!
 

Join us for our next monthly Trainers' Forum webinar on Thursday, September 20 (NEW DATE), 12:00 pm (PDT). Contact Pat Baillie for more information. 

Study of the Month:  Disclosure of Sexual Orientation in the Workplace  

The "Study of the Month" column features LGBTA-related research studies conducted by members of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP). SIOP is the premier membership organization for those practicing and teaching Industrial-Organizational Psychology, the scientific study of the workplace. For more information about SIOP, please visit www.siop.org. 

The motivating factors behind the decision to disclose one's sexual orientation may be relevant information for organizations that wish to focus their diversity and inclusion efforts on the lesbian, gay and bisexual community. The current study is a national sample of both LGB and heterosexual employees. Participants responded to an online survey pertaining to the disclosure of sexual identity in the workplace.

In the opinion of both heterosexual and LGB employees, the top reasons to disclose one's sexual identity were to 1) establish a sense of authenticity and 2) to improve co-worker interactions. For both groups, the most important reasons to keep one's sexual identity to oneself were 1) possible discrimination 2) and a valuation of privacy.

Believing disclosure is important, however, did not predict whether or not LGB employees would be disclosed at work. The results suggest that only removing discriminatory barriers may not encourage those employees who value disclosing (almost 50% of study participants) to be open about their sexual orientation at work. Encouraging initiatives focused on authentic living and positive co-worker interactions may prompt LGB employees who value disclosing their sexual orientation to be themselves at work.

Disclosure is an important experience to many, but unique for all types of individuals. There may not be a catch-all means to approaching the issue, but understanding the motivating forces behind the disclosure process can help organizational professionals improve the working experience of LGB individuals.  

This study was presented at the annual Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology conference in April of 2012 by Natasha Buxo, Jacob M. Waldrup & Valentina Bruk-Lee. For more information, please contact Jacob at jake.waldrup@gmail.com.