Intersections at Work

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Understanding the experiences of culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ talent

Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and Pride in Diversity have released a joint report into the workplace inclusion experiences of culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ workers.

Pride in Diversity and DCA joined forces on this project as their respective research on LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion had revealed that culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ workers had unique workplace experiences that warranted deeper investigation.

Lisa Annese, CEO, Diversity Council Australia, said:

“Our work with people who are culturally diverse and LGBTIQ+ found that for some people, current workplace D&I initiatives aren’t addressing the nuances of their intersectional identities. We wanted to start addressing this gap by sharing the insights of culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ workers about the actions Australian organisations can take to create more inclusive workplaces.”

Based on the findings of a survey of almost 200 culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ workers, the report found that:                

  • 55% of respondents reported that the combination of their cultural background and LGBTIQ+ status negatively affected their workplace experience,
  • for 20% it had a positive impact,
  • while for the remaining 25% it had no impact at all.  

The research identified six common themes in how the experience of respondents played out:

  • Racism and/or homophobia;
  • Not being understood at work by people from the Anglo/white majority;
  • The complexity of multiple and intersecting identities;
  • Working in regional or rural areas;
  • Working internationally in countries where homosexuality is criminalised; and
  • Feeling accepted at work but not at home.  

What is locking culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ workers out of inclusion at work, and how can we unlock this talent?

  • Ignoring intersectionality > Intersectional approaches to diversity
  • Invisibility > Boost visibility
  • Loneliness and isolation > Create connections.

Want to use our research?

Materials contained in this document are (c) Copyright of DCA Ltd and Pride in Diversity, 2020 and come under our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement. If you wish to use any content contained in this report, please contact DCA at research@dca.org.au, to seek consent.

Where you wish to refer to our research, it must be correctly attributed to the DCA and Pride in Diversity.

  • Formal attribution is required where references to research material are in a written format.
  • Citing the DCA and Pride in Diversity as a source will suffice where the reference is made in a verbal format.

Suggested citation: Diversity Council Australia/Pride in Diversity, Intersections at Work: Understanding the Experiences of Culturally Diverse LGBTIQ+ Talent, Sydney, Diversity Council Australia/Pride in Diversity, 2020.

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