3 Ways to Increase LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity at Work

According to the 2021 US Census Bureau's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Household Pulse Survey, approximately 8% of adults self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

38% of LGBT adults (compared to 16% of their straight, cisgender counterparts) reported that they experienced depression at least half of each week.

How can you create a workplace that is more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ employees?

• Use non-gendered terms in conversations and print documents. Terms such as people, team, and everyone are preferable to terms such as guys and ladies.
• Include pronouns (examples include but are not limited to, he/him, she/her, they/them, he/they, she/they) after your name in your email signature, in your social media profiles, and when video conferencing.  Including your pronouns will lessen the probability of being misgendered or misgendering others.
• Make a habit of introducing yourself including both your name and pronouns. By routinely including both pieces of important information, you normalize the inclusion of pronouns as part of the introduction process.

The intentionality of language is the first step in creating an inclusive workplace.

Image courtesy of Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash.

Related:
Pronouns - A Key to Patient and Staff Inclusivity - Registered Nurses should not be afraid to ask a patient their pronouns.
Hi, I'm Richie, And I'll Be Your Nurse Today - My gender identity plays no part in my ability to save your life or notify the doctor of a critical clinical change.
Implicit and Explicit Bias - Where do we go from here?
Transgender Affirmation Surgeries - Today on National Transgender Remembrance Day (November 20), I would like to talk to you about taking care of transgender affirmation surgical patients.