Is Corporate America Ready?

An employee’s decision to “come out” or not to come out lays the foundation for the level of success that employee will have within that organization. Some may believe that a person’s sexual orientation should be kept private. However, what happens when an employee engages in a casual conversation with their co-worker regarding their weekend or their family? What these people fail to understand is that it requires a large amount of time and effort for someone to lie about their personal lives, which tends to result in depression, exhaustion, avoiding certain people and events, and staying home from work. “When employees are free to focus on their jobs, and not on changing pronouns or hiding a part of themselves, they are better able to advance professionally,” comments Selisse Berry, founder and executive director of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, a nonprofit organization based that advocates for safe and equal workplaces for LGBTs.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Speaking from personal experiences, this is something that continues to haunt many professional individuals who are ambitious and striving for that upward mobility within their organization. While it may haunt many who are seeking approval within their personal and professional lives, there are a select few who are aware of such professional obstacles and barriers and refused to let it stop them from successfully achieving their goals. In the November 2009 issue of Black Enterprise, an executive for Campbell Soup Co. in Camden, New Jersey, Rosalyn Taylor O’Neael, was featured as a woman who has never denied her sexual orientation, but admitted that it has cost her some jobs and consulting contracts. O’Neale believes who she is as an individual is in itself a great asset to her company. Recognizing your own strengths and the values you are able to add to your organization is what matters most.

DIVERSITY TRAINING MAY NOT BE ENOUGH

The question still remains, “Is corporate America ready for the LGBT community?” Even with many companies revising and implementing diversity training to include the LGBT community, there continues to be no federal laws in place to protect against discrimination or termination because of sexual orientation or gender identity. Pro-LGBT and civil rights organizations are rallying for the passing of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (EDNA), a bill that will prohibit an employee from being fired, kept from being hired, or denied a promotion based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. An Act of this nature would also prevent an employee from being fired just because they are perceived to be a member of the LGBT community.

LET THE WORK SPEAK FOR ITSELF

With bills, laws and acts passed, the question will always remain, “Is corporate America ready for the LGBT community?”. Sure, the government can force an organization to abide by the law, but there will always be someone within that organization who will be against it and have negative feelings towards the LGBT community. So, what do we do? Rather than letting the personality speak for one’s self, let the productivity and the ability to perform the duties in such a manner that demands recognition. The more a person focuses on their sexuality, the organization will focus more on it as well. On a daily basis, LGBT employees face exclusion from general or specific networking opportunities, and/or other company events, restriction in their contact with clients or customers, and a lack of LGBT role models or leaders. There will be actions and scenarios that a person will be in that encourages isolation and loneliness within a professional environment. The goal is to not let your sexuality define who you are and to not let it stop you from pursuing success. Show the world that you are able to accomplish whatever you set your mind to and/or including adding to an organization’s bottom line, despite the gender of the person you love.

Reference:
Hutson, B. (2009, November). The “coming out” challenge. Black Enterprise, 55-56.