True, some people say they’ve reclaimed the word. But it continues to be incredibly divisive. For many same-sex attracted people, it’s one of the gravest insults imaginable.
The LGB Alliance commissioned a survey of more than 2,000 supporters in May 2023, which that found 87% of lesbian, gay and bisexual people are uncomfortable with being called ‘queer’ (71% reported being “very uncomfortable”). What’s more, 94% reported that they don’t feel represented by the LGBTQ+ umbrella. When minorities are being slurred by initiatives purporting to support them, there’s no clearer sign that DEI is on the wrong track.
What’s gone wrong? In many cases, well-meaning leaders and HR professionals are implementing, in good faith, language and policies from third-party lobby groups masquerading as inclusion experts. These organisations pocket fees for promoting partisan and sometimes unlawful advice, while pushing ideological viewpoints that can alienate gay and lesbian employees.
Read more: Number of trans-related employment tribunals increases
Many 'inclusion experts' promote the idea that males attracted to females can be lesbians if they identify as such. Some gays and lesbians agree that this is the case; many others don’t.
If equality means anything, it means tolerance for different views. Unfortunately, there is a growing list of employees who have been punished for expressing views which have been confirmed by the courts as “worthy of respect in a democratic society”. These include objecting to being called 'queer'.
Groups have long had to fight for advocates from their own communities. The ubiquity of ‘queer’ in the workplace shows what can happen when minorities are excluded from corporate policies that directly affect them.
We founded LGB Alliance Business Forum to help organisations navigate this tricky area, advocating firmly for lesbian, gay and bisexual people and helping organisations to be clear on the separate needs of LGB, while retaining a respectful distance from other causes.
Read more: How should HR handle pronoun disputes at work?
Being truly inclusive might seem impossible when people are so divided over language, but HR professionals can pilot a course that’s truly fair to all.
We recommend that HR:
- Carefully vet organisations that claim to be ‘inclusion experts’, and do not uncritically accept recommendations that affect company policy without taking independent, expert legal advice.
- Consult with all LGB employees before drawing up policies that directly affect them.
- Review the organisation’s employee resource groups to determine if any have an outsized level of influence over the business.
True inclusion means listening to all, not just the loudest voices. It certainly does not mean prioritising the demands of external advisors over the dignity of your own employees.
And here we come to the most radical suggestion of all: if you want to know which words make people uncomfortable, all you have to do is ask.
By Toby Hopkins, co-chair, LGB Alliance Business Forum
