POP! bursts onto the scene to support LGTBQ+ employees

As LGBTQ+ people continue to face discrimination in the workplace, POP! aims to ensure acceptance and inclusion for this segment of our employee population.

Our newest ERG is People of Pride! – POP! – and it’s goal is to “create a welcoming, caring culture where we can all be our authentic selves and elevate the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community. We will create a more inclusive workplace for employees through education, collaboration, and development so we can continue to grow as individuals and as an organization.”

POP!’s objectives are personal development, resource sharing, pride celebrations/community service, and awareness. Participants were limited to those who signed up to be a part of POP! either as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a family member or friend of a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or an ally.

“We wanted to give everyone who wanted to be at the table an opportunity to be at the table,” said Dave Varner, a core member of POP!. “Everyone that was a part of our launch has a genuine interest in who we are and what we stand for as an ERG.”

According to “LGBT People’s experience of Workplace Discrimination and Harassment”, a 2021 report by the University of California at Los Angeles’s Williams Institute School of Law:

  • 1 in 10 LGBT workers experienced discrimination at work in the last year
  • 36% of LGBT employees of color and 26% of white LGBT employees experienced verbal harassment
  • And many LGBT employees reported engaging in “covering” behaviors to avoid harassment or discrimination at work
  • 57% of LGBT employees reported the unfair treatment was motivated by religious beliefs
  • 34% of LGBT employees have left a job due to treatment by their employer

“There is a very real need for ERGs like POP! so LGBTQ+ employees can feel included and comfortable going to work, and not have to hide a part of who they are,” Mr. Varner said. “Just imagine how much productivity we lose when people are constantly putting their energy into hiding who they are.”

The “covering” behaviors mentioned above include changing their appearance; changing when, where, or how frequently they use the bathroom; and avoiding talking about their families. The POP! launch was different. The core members – Dave Varner, Vanessa Williams, Cary Roussel, and Jeff Senger – shared family photos with participants and introduced everyone in their photos.

“That was a powerful moment,” Cary Roussel, a core member of POP!, said. “A few of us had people reach out to us later saying how just seeing that side of us made them feel more comfortable and gave them a bit of courage to be themselves.”

If you are interested in joining POP!, click here to complete the application.

 

Source: LGBT People’s Experiences of Workplace Discrimination and Harassment – Williams Institute (ucla.edu)