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What constitutes an inclusive workplace for young queer people

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Title: What constitutes an inclusive workplace for young queer people


1
What constitutes an inclusive workplace for
young queer people?
  • Paul Willis
  • School of Sociology and Social Work
  • University of Tasmania,
  • Tasmania Australia

Email Paul.Willis_at_utas.edu.au
2
  • The people you work with are people youre just
    thrown together with. You dont know them, it
    wasnt your choice and yet you spend more time
    with them than you do with your friends or your
    family but probably all youve got in common is
    the fact that you walk around on the same bit of
    carpet for eight hours a day.
  • Tim from The Office (BBC TV 2003)

3
The problematic workplace
4
The problematic workplace
  • Workplace cultures of heterosexism
  • Dominant narrative of the problematic workplace
    for non-heterosexual workers
  • Australian workplace context The pink ceiling
    is too low report (Jude Irwin, 1999)

5
The pink ceiling is too low Report (Irwin1999)
  • National quantitative survey of 900 gay, lesbian,
    bisexual and transgender employees in Australia
  • 59 respondents reported negative experiences of
    prejudicial treatment and harassment
  • Experiences of discrimination occurred across all
    workplaces, regardless of industry, occupation or
    type of organisation

6
The queer-friendly workplace
  • An alternative narrative from young peoples
    stories
  • Defining what constitutes an inclusive
    workplace for queer workers
  • Challenges in developing inclusive workplace
    cultures in modern organisations

7
The queer-friendly workplace
  • Two key questions
  • What constitutes an inclusive workplace for young
    queer people entering and negotiating the
    workforce ?
  • How is an inclusive workplace perceived and
    defined by young queer workers?

8
Young workers and precarious employment
9
The Storytellers
  • 34 young people participated between the ages of
    18 to 26 years
  • Gender - 18 young men and 16 young women
  • Sexual descriptors diverse range of sexual
    identities including gay (18), lesbian (7),
    bisexual (5) and queer (5) sometimes multiple
    terms used to describe sexualities not mutually
    exclusive terms!
  • Majority of young people living in urban
    locations across Australia

10
TABLE 1 NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS BY OCCUPATIONAL
GROUP AND AVERAGE AGE
11
Reaching the storytellers
  • Online phase 13 young people participated in a
    series of in-depth interviews conducted online
    using a chat program (Messenger)
  • Offline phase 13 people participated in a
    series of in-depth interviews conducted in person
  • Email response 12 young people shared their
    stories through emails

12
Research Website
13
(No Transcript)
14
The only queer in the village
  • Frankie (20 years old) says
  • It's friendly, a great environment and gives
    everyone a fair go. I can trust the people I work
    with and in general it is a great workplace just
    because of its feel. I can't explain it in more
    detail.
  • Paul says
  • Thats great. Does anyone at your work know
    about you being gay?
  • Frankie says
  • Yes. The people I work with directly do and there
    are no issues in them knowing at all as they're
    great about it!
  • Paul says
  • Excellent. How did they come to know? What
    happened?
  • Frankie says
  • I told them after they asked me. I think it had
    something to do with me listening to Bette
    Midler. lol laugh out loud. Seriously!

15
The only queer in the village
  • Paul- What do you think makes this place so
    positive?
  • Maree (26 years) - umm I think its a few things,
    I think part of it is to do with the industry
    that its in, the fact that its I guess a
    so-called caring profession and the type of
    people that industry attracts, it might have
    something to do with that, its certainly not an
    organisation that pays you a lot of money umm But
    I really think its an environment when people
    are there because they want to help people, they
    want to be thats just the kind of people they
    are, they are positive people, theyre friendly
    people so yeh.

16
The only queer in the village
  • Paul- What sort of things does she ask you?
  • Diego (20 years) - ummm just like, shes asked
    Do you think youd ever turn straight? or
    anything like that or Have you ever slept with a
    girl? or Have you ever had a relationship with
    a girl? or just questions like that or pause
    hmm what else does she ask?... How do you find
    being with a guy? Is it hard being with a guy
    in state location? or Like if you were going
    out, how would you know to find a guy whos gay?
    and stuff like that, or How do you go asking
    somebody?
  • Questions like that.

17
The only queer in the village
  • Peggie (23) - Knowing that I was a lesbian in the
    interview you know, they might have leaned
    towards that way, I dont know, but thats one
    thing I think about or used to think about it,
    over it now, when I worked last week my manager
    whos always talked to me about it he said I
    dont think that wed hire another female um
    because I dont think you could have another
    female like you and I dont know if he meant I
    dont know what he meant by it but I was like, I
    dont know, Ill just take that as a compliment
    laughs

18
Not the only queer in the village
  • Paul says
  • Ok what was it like a non-hetero worker at this
    workplace?
  • Nadi says (26 years)
  • Fine, very comfortable mostly..... I wasn't the
    only non-hetero person working there and the
    staff were naturally very open-minded
    non-judgmental people... I mean, you have to be
    to work with heavy drug users
  • Paul says
  • Sure, what told you they were non-judgmental
    people?
  • Nadi says
  • Well I think partly it was a safe assumption
    since I think judgmental types would not be
    attracted to that kind of work... also the
    language that they work colleagues used, and
    they were just as friendly and comfortable
    talking to gay staff about their love life as
    straight staff

19
Not the only queer in the village
  • Madeleine (20 years) says
  • I came out to everyone after a few months- the
    first time we had a social thing after work.
  • Paul says
  • Wow how did that go?
  • Madeleine says
  • Well, I knew my boss was bi sexual, so I knew
    it would be okay. One other staff member was a
    bit funny. One was impressed. But when you're
    in a predominantly accepting environment, it's
    the homophobic person who is made to feel
    uncomfortable, rather than me.

20
Not the only queer in the village
  • Bubbles (19 years)
  • The next place that I worked at, the Turkish
    takeaway shop, um I cant remember exactly what
    happened but I think everybody knew, and a lot of
    the staff were bi or gay too like it was
    just... because in the inner city location, the
    inner city location its like as far as places
    go in the city, its all metro then youve got the
    little areas with their artiness, and that was
    pretty rough and gross and full of gay people and
    I dont know, its trendy too thats where I
    worked and there were a lot of gay people coming
    in and out and so it was somewhat open what
    people thought of that and it was like accepted
    and it was ok, like if somebody was asking about
    my ex-girlfriend I wouldnt have a problem saying
    it was a girl.

21
Not the only queer in the village
  • Paul- Ok. You describe this restaurant as
    alternative like what made it alternative?
  • Jack (25 years) - umm probably the clientele and
    probably the bosss attitudes as well. Um
    alternative not in the openly-accepting gay sense
    but more like in the quite an artsy-sense if that
    makes any sense, um but my boss he was great, he
    was really quite accepting, he had a lot of gay
    friends so there was never any sort of ill
    sentiment towards anybody who was different who
    worked in or came to the restaurant, thats what
    I mean by alternative, it welcomed everybody.

22
Not the only queer in the village
  • Paul says
  • And from your email it sounds like being a gay
    guy is almost the norm...would you agree?
  • Pearson (22 years) says
  • God yeah! 200 hosteys out of our base, the
    majority are female, and of the 50 or so guys,
    there would be maybe 10 straight guys
  • Paul says
  • Most gay guys out?
  • Pearson says
  • Yep - All of them
  • Paul says
  • How do you know? (Beyond the obvious!)
  • Pearson says
  • Lol laugh out loud Nothing beyond the obvious.
    We all talk about our sex lives and stuff, so
    yeah, easy to pick whose screwing what sex lol

23
Not the only queer in the village
  • Pearson says
  • As for passengers Ive been called fag, poof,
    homo, every name under the sun, Ive even had
    quite a number of people from various religions
    completely ignore me Im trying to give them
    the chicken or the beef, and they refuse to look
    or talk to me. It really is water off our backs -
    Its our plane, and its not on!" is a common
    catch cry amongst crew! Crews are generally very
    protective of each other, and anything we cant
    sort out quick wittedly amongst us, will be
    sorted out by other means. We always try not to
    make confrontations on the aircraft, as generally
    we'll still be stuck on the plane with the
    problem passenger, but revenge is very much
    gained, usually by pointing problem passengers
    out to customs supervisors, who take a much
    larger interest in the person than they would
    probably be expecting!

24
Not the only queer in the village
  • Bruce (22 years) says
  • Then I moved out of that team to another part of
    the call centre, and I was worried that my new
    team may not be as gay friendly. It was not as I
    expected, most of the guys in my new team were
    gay also, including my boss who I became close
    friends with during my time there.
  • Paul says
  • Ok
  • Bruce says
  • I felt very comfortable working there, and I
    always looked forward to coming to work. It was
    a very social place to work. I then got on to
    the graduate program, and then everything changed.

25
Not the only queer in the village
  • Bruce says
  • The first department I worked in had a very macho
    work culture. My graduate buddy came across as
    being quite homophobic. There was a strong
    management hierarchy. This made me feel
    frightened about disclosing my sexuality to
    management, even to my own manager(s)

26
All queer on the work front!
  • Kat (21 year) - Queer being the norm is most of
    it. I don't have to worry about being out (it's
    almost assumed) I don't have to worry about the
    reactions or consequences. I don't have to worry
    about being hit on. I'm in the centre of the
    inner city gay community. I work with some
    awesome people as well. Our licensee is the best
    boss I've ever had - he's fun, he values your
    work and your feedback which he is actually open
    to, he does what he can to make it a fun,
    interesting and safe place to work. It's funny at
    my current workplace one of my closest workmates
    is a very attractive straight man- very butch.

27
All queer on the work front!
  • Trevor (26 years) - There are 5 men who work in
    my store and we're all gay except one so being
    gay is actually considered quite normal
  • Trevor - I wouldn't talk about sex at work as I
    don't think it's an appropriate topic of
    discussion for the workplace. Too concerned about
    being accused of sexual harassment. In terms of
    sexualities we all talk about it in some form
    whether its in admiring a cute customer who
    walks into the store or talking about a date
    we've had recently or our partner.

28
All queer on the work front!
  • Alex (24 years) I was out and it was ok due to
    the type of cafe. I met amazing people and
    overall it was a positive experience for my
    sexual identity.
  • Alex - I was tired of the bullying from the
    owners, I wasn't allowed to make the juices or
    handle any money, I had to carry heavy outdoor
    umbrellas and their stands up some narrow stairs
    and got very odd jobs such as cleaning the dirty
    marks on walls with a toothbrush. They mentioned
    that I wasn't taking initiative and needed to
    start doing things on my own instead of asking.
    In reality I was shy still and wasn't exactly
    sure of their routine. When I realised I started
    dreading work and my cold was lasting more than
    two weeks, I tearfully handed in my resignation
    and ran out the door with the feeling of guilt
    but also relief.

29
All queer on the work front!
  • Ruby (24 years) - Well the AIDS council is
    brilliant. I am surrounded by queer people my
    sexuality is never an issue at my current
    workplace. I have always worked in fairly
    open-minded left wing environments.
  • Paul - Are there any times when its work not
    so supportive? This may not necessarily be about
    sexualities. Ruby - Yes, as a woman. As a queer
    woman too. There is sometimes some very sexist
    language and attitudes. Lesbian health and
    services to women are under funded and under
    recognised. We are overlooked. Often the overly
    sexualised nature of work can have its affects
    as it is mostly men that work here and most of
    them are attracted solely to men so women often
    don't even get recognised for being in the room
    (not sexually... Im talking generally)

30
The implications - What can we learn?
  • Illustrative of what can be for creating
    inclusive workplace cultures
  • Workplace cultures are multifaceted, pluralistic
    in values and complex
  • Young people as active contributors to inclusive
    workplace cultures

31
The implications - What can we learn?
  • Significance of supportive relationships for
    young people
  • Intersectionality how other systems of
    difference mutually shape young peoples
    experiences of the workplace, eg. age gender
  • Inclusive workplaces may still be interpreted as
    heteronormative spaces

32
Thankyou for listening!
Email Paul.Willis_at_utas.edu.au
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