“For us to solve these deeply culturally entrenched problems, we have to restructure the very idea of what it means to be a professional” – Dr. Erin Cech (University of Michigan)

This quote nicely summarises the key message of last week’s LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion Symposium at Leiden University, marking the opening of the Academia@WorkplacePride year.

The symposium was opened by Michiel Kolman , Workplace Pride co-chair and Academia@WorkplacePride Lead who highlighted the increasing importance of bridging science and practice given the worrying trends in lgbtiq+ acceptance near and far.

In her keynote, Erin A. Cech provided an overview of the various ways that LGBTIQ+ inequality can show up in the workplace: disadvantages can emerge not only in feelings of social marginalisation, but in a lack of professional respect and opportunities and even negative health and wellness outcomes. She discussed the kinds of work contexts that can amplify or undermine these inequalities, using the science and tech sector as a case, and ended by discussing the cultural “rhetorics of resistance” that employees and organisation leaders sometimes use to block LGBTIQ+-inclusive diversification efforts and strategies for confronting those rhetorics.

In my keynote, I further discussed the implications of heteronormativity at work by discussing the concept of heteroprofessionalism, or the norm that to be professional is to be cisgender and straight. I presented recent research findings demonstrating how disclosing a queer identity can be a double-edged sword, with disclosure perceived as unprofessional while concealment is seen as dishonest. I also addressed the specific challenges experienced bi+ employees, and what can be done to mitigate these.

Then, a panel consisting of Melati Tamsma, Pascale Wautelet, and Roos Beerkens PhD, and moderated by Kshitij Mor reflected on the keynotes, offering insights and examples from their diverse workplaces.

Many thanks to the audience for participating in the symposium, the speakers, moderator, and panelists for sharing their insights, and Christine Holtkamp, Chenhao Zhou and Paula Hoffmann for their tireless efforts behind the scenes towards making the symposium a success!

On behalf of Leiden University, Workplace Pride, and the organising team,

Prof.dr. Jojanneke van der Toorn

www.jvandertoorn.com