LGBT-Friendly Workplaces in Engineering

To the outsider, the LGBT community can seem like an alphabet soup of identities and labels. As transgender visibility increases, many people familiar with sexual orientation are now learning how to support diversity of gender identity and expression as well.

Sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual) refers to an individual’s attraction to members of the same and/or opposite gender. Sexual orientation is an identity based on a person’s sense of themselves in relation to others and representing a composite of emotional and physical attraction, affection, and relationships. People choose different terms to express their sexual identity; the most common preferred terms are gay, lesbian, and bisexual (or bi), but many choose other terms such as queer for a variety of reasons, including the goal of reclaiming a term used against LGBT people in the past.

In recent years, particularly among younger people, there has been an increase in the number of available terms to express a variety of sexual orientations and gender identities, or a tendency to defy labeling altogether (Marech 2004). It is most important that individuals are able to name who they are and claim their own vocabulary for expressing it. To second-guess another person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and assume they are “really” something other than they identify for themselves is to patronize them and to undermine their autonomy and sense of self.

Sexual orientation should be understood separately from sexual behavior; in particular, bisexuality can be seriously misunderstood when this distinction is not made. Bisexuality is the capacity for physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people of either/any gender. There are many prejudiced beliefs about bisexuality, including: bisexuals are promiscuous; bisexuals have at least two different-gendered partners simultaneously; and bisexuals are “really gay or lesbian,” or “really straight,” or “half and half” (or that their sexual orientation depends on the gender of their current partner). The reality is that bisexuals can be single, celibate, or in committed relationships, just like people of all orientations (Craig et al. 2006).

Gender identity is a person’s innate identification as male or female (or neither, or both), which may or may not coincide with one’s anatomy or designated sex at birth (Deaux and Stewart 2001). Transgender is an inclusive term that refers to a variety of people who experience or express their gender differently from what most people expect (it is interesting to note that women in engineering might be considered transgender in this most general sense of transgressing gender norms). The term transgender includes people who are transsexual (someone who has changed or wants to change their physical and/or legal sex to coincide with their internal sense of gender identity), cross-dressers, or otherwise gender nonconforming people (“State of the workplace” 2005).

Gender identity and sexual orientation are distinct (the difference between who a person is and to whom a person is attracted); it is incorrect to assume that one identity implies another. For example, being attracted to someone of the same gender does not (necessarily) imply that one identifies with the opposite gender. Similarly, being transgender does not imply a particular sexual orientation. In fact, some transgender people have called for a new understanding of sexual orientation; as gender categories flex and expand, it becomes difficult to define what it might mean to be attracted to someone of the same or opposite gender.

Sexual orientation and gender identities are not “preferences” or “lifestyle choices.” LBGT people have lifestyles as varied as non-LGBT people, including activities such as raising families, buying groceries, practicing faith traditions, pursuing meaningful careers, and engaging in hobbies and pastimes of all kinds.

Of course, sexual orientation and gender identity intersect with other aspects of identity, including race and ethnicity, religion, class, age, gender, and ability. It is important to remember that LGBT people come from all backgrounds, and there is diversity of gender identity and sexual orientation in all communities and cultures, though there are differences in cultural and social constructions of gender and sexuality that affect forms of expression and acceptance. LGBT members of other minority groups can sometimes feel marginalized or invisible in both cultures, or at home in neither (Boykin 1997).

Because it is still the case in thirty-four states that one can be fired simply because of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, it is especially important that formal workplace policies support LGBT employees by committing to nondiscrimination. (Only four states have laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression; however in seven other states, antidiscrimination laws have been found in court rulings to extend to transgender employees.) Including LGBT employees in Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies is the first and most basic step toward ensuring equality in the workplace and allaying LGBT employees’ fears of prejudicial reprisals.

For companies who already have sexual orientation in their EEO policies, adding gender identity and expression as a category is an important next step, as is creating a policy for employees undergoing gender transition. Such policies typically cover issues including appearance standards, restroom use, health benefits to cover costs of the transition, privacy, communication with co-workers and supervisors, pronoun and name usage, and other topics. As of May 2006, eighty-two Fortune 500 companies have included gender identity and expression in their nondiscrimination policies (Workplace Gender Transition Guidelines 2006).

Domestic partner benefit policies are also needed to create equality in the workplace; in the United States, only Massachusetts has legalized same-sex marriage, and only a few other states have created forms of state-recognized domestic partnerships. As of March 2005, eighty-two of the Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits. Ninety-five percent of companies offering domestic partner benefits provide benefits to both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners due to legal requirements in many states (“State of the workplace” 2005). Companies who offer these policies typically do not do so because of legal requirements, but because of the company’s commitment to fairness and because of the ability to recruit and retain qualified employees (Gurchiek 2005).

My survey of the Web sites of the top fifty civil engineering firms to work for (“The 2005 best civil engineering firms” 2005) revealed that all fifty recruit prospective employees via the Web, typically by advertising benefits policies and posting available positions. Only seven firms mentioned their status as an equal opportunity employer, and only two of these mentioned sexual orientation as a protected category. Most firms listed available benefits, but none were clearly available to domestic partners (it is important to note that some firms offer benefits to neither legal spouses nor domestic partners). Because some states require nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation as well as gender identity and expression, it is clear from the geographic location of firms alone that more than two must offer such protections to employees. Firms who are targeting qualified prospective employees through the Internet and are interested in hiring qualified LGBT candidates may consider emphasizing their EEO commitments as a recruitment tool, particularly when those commitments include nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Where domestic partner benefits are offered, this can be an even greater incentive and should also be made clear.

Beyond domestic partner benefits, companies may provide other spousal-equivalency benefits including family leave, COBRA health benefits, life insurance, retirement and bereavement benefits, relocation or travel expenses, and adoption assistance. There is a complex mix of federal and state law governing benefits. In most cases, companies are free to provide additional benefits or protections beyond what the law requires, and many do so to make the benefits packages equivalent or at least more equitable compared with those provided to heterosexual employees.

Many companies have an internal LGBT employee resource group that can serve as a clearinghouse of information, facilitate better policy making, create a more supportive work environment, and provide networking and mentoring opportunities for LGBT employees. Some companies also have specific recruitment brochures and other strategies for attracting, mentoring, and developing the leadership of highly qualified LGBT employees. These brochures describe company policies and profile successful out (verbally named identity) LGBT employees and their experiences with the company.

Recently MentorNet has teamed up with the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Science and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) to pair LGBT scientists and engineers who are established in their careers with LGBT students, graduate students, and early-career faculty (“National Organization” 2006). This project is an important way to increase LGBT visibility in the sciences and engineering and provides much-needed support to the next generation of LGBT science and engineering professionals.

Companies can be even more LGBT-friendly by supporting the LGBT community through corporate giving, by marketing beneficial products or services within the LGBT community, creating appropriate LGBT-specific advertising, and creating business partnerships with LGBT-owned firms.

It takes a lot more than formal policies to make a workplace LGBT-friendly. Occupational culture can have as much influence as formal policy on an employee’s experience (Chetkovich 1997). Supportive co-workers are those who genuinely respect LGBT employees and who possess sensitivity to LGBT concerns, as well as an awareness of their own privilege with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity. Employers can foster an LGBT-friendly workplace culture by providing diversity training that incorporates LGBT concerns and by modeling an inclusive culture among management.

On a basic level, co-workers need to dispense with stereotypes and misconceptions about sexual orientation and gender identity; some of these include gay men as effeminate or lesbians as masculine, ideas that lesbians haven’t met the right man yet, gay men as predatory, the notion that the entire LGBT community consists of rich white men (“Beyond biased samples” 1994), and fear of HIV/AIDS as a gay disease (Herek 1997). Stereotypes about gender and engineering can also affect LGBT individuals. When professions are strongly identified with maleness, homophobia can result in the exclusion of gay men (Chetkovich 1997). Gay men may be perceived as less effective engineers, in the same way that women can be prejudicially perceived as less technically adept. It should also be noted that for some LGBT people there are positive associations with the choice of engineering as a profession—especially when individuals perceive it as a “good fit” between professional and gender or sexual identity.

An awareness of LGBT invisibility is important, particularly in engineering workplaces where “don’t ask, don’t tell” is often the norm. LGBT people are members of a minority group that can be difficult to identify without their coming out. This process of coming out can be misinterpreted by some as being “in your face” or “political,” so that some LGBT people cautiously await the right time to come out. In a workplace where it may not be clear when or how much it is appropriate to talk about being LGBT, invisibility can become the norm, isolating LGBT individuals and removing opportunities for interaction with key role models.

Invisibility is insidious, resting on heterosexual privilege that can be difficult to identify or acknowledge. For example, coming out in the workplace can be challenging when there is a double standard for discussing families or relationships. Married individuals often speak of their spouse and/or children (or presumptively ask others about theirs), and this is considered acceptable. However, when LGBT people talk about their families it is often considered “political” or “flaunting sexuality” or an intrusion of “personal issues” into the workplace. A single LGBT person may have even fewer opportunities to come out in casual conversation. Coming out should of course be met with appropriate sensitivity.

Employees should be aware of transgender etiquette in the workplace as well. This means understanding the vulnerability and risks involved for a transgender person being authentic at work. Names and pronouns should match the transgender employee’s wishes, and be used consistently both within and outside of his or her presence. Usually the pronouns and names will match the person’s expressed gender, regardless of genetic or legal sex status. Rest rooms can be difficult to negotiate for both the transgender employee and co-workers. The provision of a single occupancy unisex restroom can often create the greatest degree of comfort for all (Swenson 2006).

In job interviews and in early interactions with new employees, it is particularly important not to make assumptions about sexual orientation, gender identity, family or relationship status, and to be sensitive to how straight privilege may come across. Sensitivity requires not jumping to conclusions when provided with small amounts of information. For example, a man declaring he is gay does not mean he does not have children; a man declaring he has a girlfriend does not necessarily mean he is heterosexual (and declaring he has a boyfriend does not necessarily mean he is gay).

For LGBT people who are closeted because they fear reprisal on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, work can be a fearful and isolating place. The lengths to which a closeted individual must go at work to hide who they are can be difficult for non-LGBT people or even noncloseted LGBT people to understand. It creates deep divisions in one’s life and requires tremendous energy to maintain certain cover stories. This inability to be authentic at work can impact productivity, creativity, and working relationships. It can also affect a person’s sense of ethics as they constantly engage in justifications for practicing dishonesty about who they are. While this is less common among younger generations of LGBT people, “the closet” is still a powerful force in the workplace, especially where security clearances are involved or where co-workers express views that are particularly homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic. (While most security clearances do not require one to be non-LGBT, the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policies have created a perception that one ought not to be out, and as sociologists note, perceptions are real in their consequences.)

It is important for diversity and human resources officers to make their support for LGBT employees clear so that they feel comfortable approaching diversity officers with concerns or needs. Everyone should participate in creating a workplace culture that is LGBT-friendly, making it comfortable for everyone to be who they are and bring their full selves and creativity to the workplace.

Making a workplace LGBT-friendly requires a set of policies that go above and beyond what is required by law in order to support LGBT individuals and their families. Nondiscrimination policies, domestic partnership benefits, and other spousal-equivalency benefits can make the difference for recruiting, retaining, and supporting LGBT employees and helping them reach their full potential. Additional support for diversity training, LGBT employee resource groups, leadership development, and fostering relationships with LGBT-owned businesses can further enhance the LGBT-friendliness of a workplace. Workplace culture greatly affects an employee’s perception of LGBT-friendliness. Banishing stereotypes, becoming aware of heterosexual privilege, avoiding assumptions, and learning transgender etiquette are critical steps individuals can take to create a productive LGBT-friendly workplace. Focusing on LGBT issues is an essential component of a diversity strategy that fosters a supportive workplace for all—it ultimately builds a stronger organization in which employees have the necessary tools and support to realize their full potential.

Winfield, L. (2005). Straight talk about gays in the workplace: Creating an inclusive, productive environment for everyone in your organization, Haworth, Binghamton, N.Y.Zuckerman, A., and Simons, G. (1995). Sexual orientationin the workplace: Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals working together, Sage, Santa Monica, Calif.

Human Rights Campaign Workplace Project, ⟨http://www.hrc.org/workplace⟩.National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists andTechnical Professionals, ⟨http://www.noglstp.org⟩.Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, ⟨http://www.outandequal.org⟩.Transgender at Work, ⟨http://www.tgender.net/taw/⟩.