How to be a good LGBTIQ+ ally

Tom Cooney, Newcastle

Being a good ally to the LGBTIQ+ community in the workplace is something that everyone should be, and it doesn’t need to be something that is massively overthought. Behaving in a very vocal way with your support – whether that be by getting involved in Pride-network activities, wearing a rainbow lanyard, or attending a Pride march – is a great way to demonstrate your allyship. This, however, is not the only way to be an ally and there are other ways to show your support simply with your day-to-day behaviour.

Firstly, and I’m sure this already goes without saying: please treat your queer colleagues in exactly the same way you would any other colleague. Not only does this cover avoiding prejudicial behaviour, but also behaving more enthusiastically towards queer people than you would anyone else you work closely with. Queer people, such as myself, can always see when someone in our daily lives is overcompensating for our queerness by exhibiting overly enthusiastic behaviour, and that can sometimes feel like we are being singled out for our gender and sexuality, despite the best of intentions.

Secondly, and because I cannot speak for everyone in the community, I would always follow the example of what a specific queer colleague has set for you both in your relationship. If that colleague openly discusses their gender and/or sexuality with you, feel free to contribute towards the discussion and be vocal in conversations around gender and sexuality! If there is a colleague you assume may be LGBTIQ+ but doesn’t speak on it themselves, don’t try and bring this up with them as you may be incorrect or they may feel as if you’re ‘outing’ them in the workplace when they are just not ready yet.

My third point is an issue that doesn’t just affect the LGBTIQ+ community, but a wide variety of people from all different backgrounds: the underestimation of someone from a minority group, purely based on the fact that they belong to that group. Some queer people can suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’ in the workplace, which is the feeling that you don’t belong where you are because, for some illogical reason, you are not as competent in your job as the other people around you due to your sexuality or gender; that at any moment you will be found out as an imposter, despite your successes and abilities.

Whilst this can be something intrinsic and personal, it can be compounded by the actions of others in the workplace. These actions can include being surprised a queer person has landed a job in this industry, not wanting to give them certain tasks that you feel may be too difficult for them purely based on their gender or sexuality, or assuming that they may be overly emotional in the workplace simply because they are a queer person. No one queer person is the same, just as no one person is the same in any walk of life, so any generalisations or assumptions should be left firmly at the door.

Finally, if you do want to, please do feel free to get involved with events, talks, and discussions around queer topics! Norton Rose Fulbright are great for hosting guest speakers to discuss a variety of issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, and these can be incredibly interesting and educational to both queer and non-queer people.

We already work in a very inclusive environment, but there is always room to grow and develop, so I think bearing these simple suggestions in mind will contribute towards bettering the experience of LGBTIQ+ people in our workplace.