From Student to Professional: Navigating LGBTQ+ Identity in the Workplace

"Discovering yourself during university is a gateway to feeling comfortable in your sexuality and gender in your adult life,". Mia Eden from DAZN spoke to myGwork about the importance of self-discovery in university, and experiencing the shift from student life to a professional work environment.

Please introduce yourself, the name of your organisation and the university you attended.

My name is Mia Eden, my organisation is DAZN, and I attended Leeds Beckett University.

When in university, were you out to your university friends and/or your teachers? If yes, how important was that for you?

Yes, I was, never particularly to my teachers due to relevance of conversations, but I would be comfortable (for the most part) being out to most teachers. It is particularly crucial for me to be out to those I consider friends, as I feel like it is an integral part of my life and personality likewise. I don’t think I could 100% be myself if my friends didn’t know this about me.

Have you ever experienced discrimination from your fellow students and/or teachers?

Fortunately, no, not personally. However, I have heard experiences of homophobia from LGBTQ+ friends regarding some of their university friends involving offensive language.

Do you feel your university supported LGBTQ+ students?

Yes, I do. There were regular events, particularly including Pride Month, and an open LGBTQ+ society that was supported by the university.

Do you feel that your university prepares you for what is to come as a future professional and a member of the LGBTQ+ community?

I think this is relatively subjective. I would say my university prepared me for the future of work within that field, I wouldn’t necessarily say the university prepares you as a member of the LGBTQ+ society in the workplace. There are pride events, socials & ways for LGBTQ+ students to feel socially included in that space, but nothing specifically outside of that. There is naturally a particular culture of open-mindedness in the spaces that allow queer people to be queer, but I would not say it extends beyond that.

How optimistic are you about LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace?

Relatively, especially as time passes. I also feel like this is dependent on the workplace and what it looks like from the inside. Workplaces are doing a much better job at actively encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion; however, it takes a long time for ingrained mentalities to change. Though it can be frustrating change doesn’t happen immediately, patience is important & I am optimistic for the future of LGBTQ+ inclusion & DEI in workplaces.

Are you out in your new job? If yes, was that the case from the start?

Yes, I am comfortable sharing my sexuality with my team. My team are open-minded individuals that are encouraging and happy to support. I wouldn’t necessarily say I was “out” beyond this, though I am comfortable and happy to share that I am a part of the Pride ERG etc...

How did you first come out at work and to who?

I don’t believe it was a huge ordeal as I don’t necessarily believe LGBTQ+ people should have to “come out”, but instead just openly talk about their personal life as heterosexual peers would do. I don’t recall a specific time I “came out”, but instead mentioned my sexuality in a way relevant to conversation. I am happy to share this with my team – as our primary focus is improving learning & DEI cultures, it can be relevant to share that conversations in relation to LGBTQ+ are coming from a personal perspective as well as a professional one.

In your opinion, how connected is coming out while in university to being out in the workplace?

I would argue that this was very important. I think a lot of individuals discover more about their sexuality and/or gender during university. It’s relatively common for LGBTQ+ people that have repressed this side of themselves prior to university feel more comfortable in engaging with the community when they find likeminded people at university. I think discovering yourself during university is a gateway to feeling comfortable in your sexuality and gender in your adult life.

This isn’t the case for everyone, as sexuality and gender are complicated and fluid & can take long periods of time to understand, but I feel as though having experience with “coming out” at university can prepare you for the same scenarios in workplaces.

Do you feel inspired by an LGBTQ+ role model? If yes, please state their name and why they have inspired you.

I have a lot! I have always been interested and inspired by queer culture and I think it’s very important to recognise those that paved the way & those that continue to do so. From a more media perspective, I hugely admire Kim Petras – she is openly transgender, and the first openly transgender person to win a grammy. I enjoy seeing LGBTQ+ people thrive in mainstream media. I also greatly admire those in mainstream media that have advocated for LGBTQ+ rights in the past, such as Britney & Madonna.

From a more personal perspective, I have a lot of LGBTQ+ friends of multiple sexualities and genders that I am inspired by every single day. I have lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender friends that are all open in their queerness and fully embrace the community. They make me feel accepted and understood regarding my sexuality.

Before applying for a job, do you check their diversity and inclusion policies?

Yes, both as a woman and a queer person this is very important to me. I feel as though I cannot thrive if I do not feel accepted.

Are there any LGBTQ+ networks within your organisation? If yes, are you an active member?

Yes! There is a Pride ERG. It is relatively new, though with the help of the members it is continuing to develop and grow. I am a part of this and eager to see where it can go.

Are you excited to switch from a student to a professional? Has your organisation made it easy for you?

This was definitely an exciting change for me. Though my profession does not necessarily correlate with my studies, I feel as though I have landed in a role, I am passionate about and eager to evolve in. My organisation has been very supportive of my studies and the change between student and professional.

From your experience so far, do you have any advice to share with students before they go into the workplace?

My advice is to make sure that you know your self-worth and not to let others tell you otherwise. You may come across people who are not as understanding or as accepting as those you may have surrounded yourself with at university, don’t let this break down your spirit or identity.

My next advice is patience. As I mentioned before, it takes a lot of time to see positive change & unstring engrained opinions, but the future of work for LGBTQ+ is looking brighter than ever before and change is slowly, but surely, happening.