The challenges of being LGBTQ in the workplace

MHA Admin

Thu, 06/13/2024 – 10:15

by Rae Barton

[TRIGGER WARNING: This blog post contains references to sexual harassment in the workplace]

Unfortunately, employment discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community is still a widespread, prevalent issue. Nearly half (46%) of LGBTQ+ employees say they have experienced unfair treatment in the workplace, according to a 2022 joint study by the Center for American Progress and NORC, a nonpartisan research group based at the University of Chicago that compared the experiences of non-LGBTQ+ people with those who identify as LGBTQ+. Among the worrisome findings:

46% of the LGBTQ+ have experienced unfair or mistreatment at work
57% report the mistreatment was motivated by religious beliefs
36% of BIPOC LGBTQ+ people report being verbally harassed while 26% of white LGBTQ staff report the same.
And 34% have reported leaving a job due to the mistreatment by their employer

My experiences of mistreatment in the workplace

As a queer, nonbinary, transmasculine person, I have experienced various forms of mistreatment in the workplace, compared to my cis-het coworkers (cisgender, or “cis,” means identifying as the gender you were assigned at birth; heterosexual, or “het,” means identifying as straight).

When working for a nonprofit organization, I was subjected to sexual harassment by my immediate supervisor. During my five years of employment at this agency, my supervisor had come into my office, locked the door, and then exposed herself in front of me, while blocking the only exit.

All I could do was avoid encouraging this behavior and wait for her to stop so that I could exit my office safely. I wish I could say that I went to Human Resources right away to report the abuse. But it took me months to report what had happened, and during that time my supervisor continued to be inappropriate. She would call me, sometimes sober and sometimes drunk, at all hours of the day or night, send inappropriate photos of herself, trauma dump on me, or ask me to drop off beer to her at her apartment so she didn’t have to drive.

How I handled being harassed in the workplace

Because I was uncomfortable speaking to the only HR employee at this agency, I chose to write a formal letter of complaint about my supervisor and the unacceptable things she did to me. I sent this letter to the HR staffer, who said she would look into things.

The abuse continued for the five years I worked there. When I felt I couldn’t take any more, I ignored the chain of command and sent a second letter, with more proof and records of the abuse I was subjected to, to the director of the agency.

I was finally taken seriously and an investigation into my supervisor started. During this investigation, my supervisor quit her job to avoid being terminated for sexual harassment, and I was told that my employer could no longer pursue my complaints because of it. I quit a few weeks later.

Takeaways

If you or someone you love is a victim of a hostile work environment or being discriminated against due to their LGBTQ+ identity, know that you are not alone. This is a widespread issue, and it affects so many of us. Make sure you prioritize your safety and, if you are able to, consider speaking up about your mistreatment.

Some things you can do to combat workplace mistreatment include:

Start an LGBTQ+ group/club at your workplace and build community
Reach out to local agencies advocating for LGBTQ+ rights for support
Keep track of these occurrences and report them to HR or someone in senior management
Help your LGBTQ+ coworkers who are at higher risk of workplace mistreatment

For more information on LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination, see this Human Rights Campaign article or this article from the United States government on moving toward equality in the workplace.

If you or someone you know is being sexually harassed at work there are resources available to help you.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Capital City Emergency “Level II” Trauma & Wellness Center will house a “state of the art” Outreach Community Resource Center, that will provide case management, mental health community advocacy, and oversight from the M.I. Mother’s Keeper mental health advocates. 
 
The Capital City Emergency “Level II” Trauma & Wellness Center will offer patrons access to immediate coverage by general surgeons as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.
 
Our goal is to help people in the best way possible in an effort to preserve and to save more lives in the Nation’s Capital and beyond.

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Emergency

Code Red
Gunshot Victim
Life Threatening Wounds
Physical Assault Victim
Severely Injured Auto Accident Victim
Burn Victim
Epilepsy/Seizures
Cardiovascular
Choking & Breathing Obstructions
and more…

trauma

Child Sex Assault Victim
Domestic Violence Victim
Drug Overdose
Rape/Sex Crime Victim
Suicide Watch
Trafficking Victim
Nervous Breakdown
and more…

Mental Health

At Capital City Emergency Trauma & Wellness Center patrons with mental health emergencies that include life threatening situations in which an individual is imminently threatening harm to self or others, severely disoriented or out of touch with reality, has a severe inability to function or is otherwise distraught and out of control, will have access to quality and psychiatric emergency services and referrals.

Physical Health

Whether your life threatening medical emergency involves excessive or uncontrollable bleeding, head injury. difficulty with breathing, severe pain, heart attack, vision impairments, stroke, physically collapsing, or seizure related, rest assured that our professionals will properly assess and evaluate the level of response that will be most needed to help provide stabilized care solutions and minimize complications as well as reduce early mortality.

Holistic Healthcare

We offer healthcare solutions that will support the whole person which includes their physical, psychological, emotional, social, & spiritual wellbeing. Research supports that because your mental state can affect your overall health we support and offer the inclusion of complimentary and alternative medicine(CAM) practitioners and naturopathic doctor recommendations and referrals as a part of our Outreach Community Resource Center’s care regimen and support.

Rehabilitative

Emergency care can typically result in traumatic injuries for which rehabilitation becomes an essential component of care in trying to achieve the best long-term outcomes for the patient. In addition to speeding up recovery times and helping to prevent further complications, rehabilitative care also helps to support a patient’s self-managed recovery once discharged from our facility. Our Outreach Community Resource Center works closely with our trauma center’s discharge department to assure that patrons requiring these services are linked with qualified professionals who will be accountable to the standard of care required to help the patron be successful in their recovery.

Social Services

Our “state of the art” Outreach Community Resource Center intends to promote “expansive” beneficial community enriching services, programs, case management, & linkage to “approved” partner resources and supports in all of the following intended areas and more:

Social Services

  • Clothing
  • Food Pantry
  • Housing/Shelter
  • I.D. Credentials
  • Senior Wellness Check
  • Toiletries
  • Transportation
  • Etc.

Extended Family Services

  • Child Care
  • Credit Counseling
  • Family Court Services
  • Legal Aide

Career Training

  • Apprenticeship programs
  • Computer/Graphics Training
  • Culinary Program  
  • GED Courses
  • Hospitality Training
  • Job Etiquette & Grooming
  • Resume’ Prep
  • Sales Training
  • Software/Technology workshops
  • Small Business Training

Return Citizen
Program Partner
(Bridging the Gap)

  • Case Management
  • Temporary Boarding/Housing
  • Transitional Program Registration

Prevention/Intervention Outreach,
Workshops, & Programs

  • After-school Behavioral Health Program
  • Civic Engagement / Volunteer Sign-up
  • Fatherhood Rites of Passage
  • Gun Violence Town Hall Forum
  • Life Coaching & Coping Strategies
  • Marriage Counseling Workshops
  • Medicare Informational Workshops
  • Mentorship Training
  • Parental Classes
  • Support Groups
  • Town Hall Discussions
  • Violence De-Escalation Training
  • Voter Registration

Nutritional Outreach

  • Cooking Demonstrations
  • Dietary Programs
  • Exercise Classes
  • Recipe Sharing Workshops
  • Meal Prep

Community Outreach

The Healthy DC & Me Leadership Coalition is partnering with the M.I. Mother’s Keeper Mental Health advocacy organization to provide outreach services on the community level as an aid in reducing the existent health inequities that many District citizens are facing as a direct result of the presence of debilitating social determinants and the lack of culturally appropriate care choices and realities for community members residing in marginalized and lower-income communities.

It is the vision and intentions of the M.I. Mother’s Keeper Mental Health Advocates organization to help improve the quality of living for citizens living in our Nation’s Capital and beyond by overseeing the delicate linkage to services and by maintaining higher standards of care accountability for deserving citizens of the Nation’s Capital.

For more information or to enroll as one of our service providers, please email us at:
info@healthydcandme.org