Opinion: The b in lgbtiq+ comes off worst in the workplace
People who are attracted to more than one gender, such as bisexuals, in many ways have worse experiences at work than their heterosexual, gay or lesbian colleagues. But even policies to protect lhbtiq+’s unintentionally exclude this group. What could be better?
Jojanneke van der Toorn en Michiel Kolman 3 augustus 2024, 10:00
The largest group under the lgbtiq+ umbrella does not consist of people who are attracted to the same sex, but people who are attracted to more than one gender. There are people who are attracted to men and women, or people who are attracted to people regardless of gender. They call themselves pansexual, bisexual, or queer, or prefer not to label themselves at all. But to denote an orientation that does not focus only on one gender, the broad term bi+ can be used.
Leiden University and Bi+ Netherlands conducted an exploration on this group at the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the conclusions are worrying. In the workplace, bi+ people have worse experiences on many levels than people who are attracted to one gender, whether heterosexual, lesbian or gay. This can range from nasty jokes to bullying, and from unwanted sexual attention to even physical violence.
Compared to lesbian and gay people, bi+ people are much less likely to be open about their sexual orientation – 50 per cent and 26 per cent of bi+ women and men, respectively, compared to 98 per cent and 88 per cent of lesbian women and gay men, respectively. This starts as early as the application process, as they expect a lack of acceptance. These fears are not unjustified: lhbtiq+ and therefore bi+ candidates are more often rejected and seen as less competent than other candidates. A common explanation is that they ‘do not fit within the organisation’.
About the authors
Jojanneke van der Toorn is associate professor of lgbtiq+ workplace inclusion at Leiden University and also works at Utrecht University. Michiel Kolman is senior vice president Elsevier and co-chair of Workplace Pride.
Heteroprofessionalism
The implicit but dominant norm is that only heterosexuality is seen as professional and neutral (heteroprofessionalism). On top of this is the monosexual norm, which considers only sexual orientations that focus exclusively on one gender normal or credible. Bi+ people thus fall outside both the heterosexual norm and the monosexual norm.
The monosexual norm contributes to a sense of invisibility among bi+ people. If you talk about your opposite-sex partner at a working lunch, colleagues automatically assume you are heterosexual. When it comes to a same-sex partner, the assumption is that you are gay or lesbian. The survey shows that bi+ employees do not feel recognised and that there is a lack of understanding in the workplace. In addition, prejudices about bi+ also play a negative role: for instance, bisexuality is more associated with sex than heterosexuality, which is eminently at odds with professionalism.
Many employers take a blanket approach to promoting lgbtiq+ inclusion or focus mainly on gay or lesbian employees. The exploration shows that this is insufficient for bi+ employees and a more targeted approach is needed.
Other orientations
Employers would do well to establish a social norm that is not based on heterosexuality and homosexuality alone. For instance, it is important to explicitly mention bi+ orientations alongside other orientations in HR policy, diversity and inclusion policy and communication, or use more inclusive formulations such as ‘regardless of sexual orientation’. Organisations committed to bi+ and lgbtiq+ inclusion in the workplace can also play a positive role. They facilitate self-scans for organisations, to make visible where policy adjustments are possible and desirable.
The government also has a role to play. The General Equal Treatment Act (AWGB) already offers protection to heterosexual, gay, lesbian, transgender and intersex people who experience discrimination in the labour market. With a minor amendment, this law can offer the same protection to bi+ people.
Government and business have a joint mission and Pride Amsterdam is the moment to adjust ambitions. For a truly inclusive labour market, specific attention is needed for all individual letters of the acronym, especially the b of bi+. #WorkplacePride #BiPlusVisibility #InclusiveWorkplaces #BreakMonosexualNorms #SupportBiPlus #LGBTIQEquality #EndHeteroprofessionalism