7 Things to NEVER
Say to LGBT
Coworkers
By Darryl Hanna/Courtesy
of DiversityInc
For most, coming out at work is not an easy task.
You can't be sure how your company or peers will
respond to your revelation. And despite recent
reports that the workplace is growing increasingly
accepting to LGBT employees, people often don't know
how to welcome a colleague who recently came out the
closet.
PricewaterhouseCoopers executive Stephanie Peel's
history is a corporate America coming-out success
story. When she came out professionally nearly 10
years ago, she was welcomed by her colleagues. "I
came out personally in 1997 and came out
professionally in 1999. Fortunately, I never heard
anything not positive," says Peel.
Peel now serves on the company's LGBT-partner
advisory board, which consists of 10--12 leaders in
the firm who are LGBT, and provides guidance to the
management committee to help further advance
initiatives and activities. PricewaterhouseCoopers
is No. 12 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies
for DiversityŽ list and No. 2 on the Top 10
Companies for GLBT Employees.
"I often tell people who ask me about this [that]
it's not just about what you can't say or shouldn't
say because sometimes I find that colleagues feel
stymied in that they shouldn't say anything at all.
There is a lot of room for the things you can say to
give clues to people that you are inclusive and
culturally sensitive," warns Peel.
So what are 10 things should you NEVER say to your
LGBT colleagues? Here's what GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education Network), Out & Equal
Workplace Project, and Peel suggest:
No. 1: "I suspected you were gay."
Although it is a common response, it's insensitive
and plays into stereotypes.
No. 2: "I'm sorry."
Why should you apologize for a colleague's
orientation? This implies judgment and can make the
situation more difficult. Would you apologize for a
person's ethnicity or gender?
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