LGBTI activists and businesses fighting inequality together

This might require a bit of a change of mindset, but it’s something that both ILGA-Europe and Workplace Pride have talked about for many years.

Now is the time for this conversation to come to Brussels, and for civil society, multinational corporations and EU institutions to all play a role in creating more inclusive workplaces.

Workplace Pride and ILGA-Europe have long promoted the importance of implementation – whether that is of the laws and policies outlined in the Rainbow Europe Map, or of the equal opportunity policies included in staff handbooks. Getting these things done on paper is not the final step, but the first.

Those of us in employment spend a large chunk of our waking hours at work. Our co-workers can become like a second family, but not everyone’s experience is so positive.

On average, just under 30% of the people who responded to the Fundamental Rights Agency’s detailed online survey in 2012 said that, at work, they had hidden the fact that they identified as LGBT. 19% of the LGBT respondents said that they had felt discriminated against at work – but these are EU-wide averages, in some member states the figures are much higher.

Why does it matter? Firstly, people perform better when they can be themselves. Rather than worrying that a casual remark might inadvertently ‘out’ them, individual LGBTI employees will be able to foster a feeling of openness with their colleagues and clients.

And changing the dynamic in social settings like a workplace is key to changing the perspective of society generally. A place of work might not be a perfect cross-section of society, but nevertheless it is a mini-community.

By changing a culture within the four walls of an organisation, you can change many people’s lives. This change is within reach for employers – including the EU institutions themselves. When the European Commission or Google speak out about diversity and inclusion, people sit up and take notice.

There has been a growing interaction between civil society organisations and Workplace Pride for several years. So this increased cooperation is an organic process and a natural next step for both Workplace Pride and ILGA-Europe.

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