This engagement offers a diversity of perspective that breeds creativity – an essential element for business innovation. Women-only networking events offer mentoring and support for LGBTQI+ women, who network differently to men and are often under-represented when it comes to networking events. Often, services offered by organisations aren’t gender-specific, so having women sitting at the table can be good for business. The benefits of female-only groups that support women create more opportunities to do business. The need for safe spaces for women is what first highlighted a greater need for diversity and inclusion within organisations. Women’s networks support diversity and inclusion Although the levels of invisibility are different, the global lived experience of fighting for women’s and LGBTQI+ rights is a uniting force. Some lesbian women live in more challenging environments due to their background and diversity, which makes their visibility harder to fight and the right to their freedom of expression a daily battle. Homophobia has created barriers to the safety and security of LGBTQI+ groups and educational leaders across the world for a long time. Up until now, LGBTQI+ communities have focussed on one characteristic without considering the diversity within each identity – something that’s changing through the intersectional feminist movement. The nuances of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, and how their multiple identities interact and intersect, give them an entirely unique experience that makes their place in society fraught with its own set of challenges and threats. This increases when considering older sexual minorities, ethnic minorities, or those with religious affiliations. There are layers of invisibilityĮthnicity, religion, and culture – and how they intersect alongside people’s sexual expressions, desires and/or identities – can create identities with added layers of invisibility. It’s something that forces many trans people to leave their place of work in order to undergo transition. For transgender people, it’s even harder, as the issue is less about their sexuality and more about the widespread lack of understanding when it comes to their identities.
2 A recent Pride Matters survey undertaken by Pride in London, 2018 revealed that gay women are twice as unlikely to be out in the workplace compared to their gay male colleagues. In fact, 34% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UK choose not to disclose their sexuality for fear of homophobia, exclusion or bias – especially when it comes to promotional opportunities. So, what lessons did EqualEngineers learn this year 1? LGBTQI+ women still feel misunderstood and under-supportedĭespite the progress being made, many LGBTQI+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex +) employees still feel like they can’t reveal their sexuality at work.
#Lesbian visibility day series
For allies and everyone else, it was also a chance to educate ourselves on the misinformation, lack of representation, and oppression that still exists for those who identify as a lesbian.ĭue to the coronavirus, this year’s Stonewall-supported event took place digitally, with a series of workshops, panel sessions and seminars that addressed a broad range of issues, such as: Its aim was to show solidarity with every woman within the LGBTQI+ community by celebrating lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and queer women, including women of colour, those with disabilities, and those who experience oppression or discrimination because of their intersectionality. In case you missed it, Lesbian Visibility Week began on the 20 th of April and ended on the 26 th of April, aka Lesbian Visibility Day.
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