Attracting and Retaining LGBTQ Employees DIVERSITY WORKS 2019 Attracting and Retaining LGBTQ Employees 300 Wall Street Kingston, NY 12401 845.331.5300 lgbtqcenter.org Presented by: Jeff Rindler, Executive Director

About me… 20+ years at Gay Men’s Health Crisis in NYC as CPO 3 years as Executive Director, Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center Created and implemented first workforce development program at GMHC Human Rights Commission, Restorative Justice Task Force, Continuum of Care Advisory Council, DSS DV Council and National Working Positive founding board member.

Objectives: hire LGBTQ individuals? How to make your place of employment more welcoming for LGBTQ individuals How to create an inclusive job description and attract LGBTQ employees How to retain your LGBTQ employees

Creating a Welcoming Environment for LGBTQ Employees Discordance between Sexual Behavior and Self-Reported Sexual Identity: A Population-Based Survey of New York City Men. Pathela, P. 19 September 2006. Annals of Internal Medicine v. 145 no. 6: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=728543 O’Hanlan KA, Robertson PA, Cabaj R, Schatz B, Nemrow P. A review of the medical consequences of homophobia with suggestions for resolution. Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association1997; 1(1):25–39. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:JOLA.0000007009.83600.ae

Making your place of employment more LGBTQ welcoming Make sure your non-discrimination policy is displayed in a high traffic areas your site. If you don’t have one, create it (we can help). Ensure the policy includes sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression Add LGBTQ statements of inclusion to mission statements, service literature and policies.

Making your place of employment more LGBTQ welcoming If you work with clients, add language to your client guidelines about being “welcoming and inclusive” in regard to sexual orientation, gender and gender identity. Have gender neutral restrooms Have LGBTQ related magazines in your waiting room. Ensure that both employee and client application/intake forms be gender inclusive and not just “male” and “female”

BEHAVIOR VS. IDENTITY Discordance between Sexual Behavior and Self-Reported Sexual Identity: A Population-Based Survey of New York City Men. Pathela, P. 19 September 2006. Annals of Internal Medicine v. 145 no. 6: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=728543 O’Hanlan KA, Robertson PA, Cabaj R, Schatz B, Nemrow P. A review of the medical consequences of homophobia with suggestions for resolution. Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association1997; 1(1):25–39. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:JOLA.0000007009.83600.ae

Biological Sex Sexual Orientation Gender Gender Expression Identity Anatomy, chromosomes, hormones Biological Sex Sexual Orientation Romantic/erotic response Psychological sense of self Communication/ perception of gender Gender Identity Gender Expression

Cisgender and Transgender Cisgender: someone who has a gender identity that aligns with what they were assigned at birth “cis” (Latin): on the same side Transgender people have a gender identity that does not match the sex assigned at birth. ‘trans” (Latin): on the other side One’s gender identity may or may NOT match their appearance, their body, or others’ perceptions of them.

Pronouns matter He/Him/His She/Her/Hers They/Them/Theirs Ze/hir/hirself

Attracting LGBTQ Employees Discordance between Sexual Behavior and Self-Reported Sexual Identity: A Population-Based Survey of New York City Men. Pathela, P. 19 September 2006. Annals of Internal Medicine v. 145 no. 6: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=728543 O’Hanlan KA, Robertson PA, Cabaj R, Schatz B, Nemrow P. A review of the medical consequences of homophobia with suggestions for resolution. Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association1997; 1(1):25–39. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:JOLA.0000007009.83600.ae

How to create an inclusive job description and attract LGBTQ employees Don’t use words like “he/she should…” Use words like “they should…” or the “the person in this position” or “the coordinator” Use words like “commitment to equality and diversity” in the job description. Under the benefits section use language that includes “same sex partners” “medical needs for transgender individuals” Attend LGBTQ recruitment events Post the position on sites like Pink Pages and Transgender Job Bank as well as your local LGBTQ Community Center

Tips for interviewing perspective employees During the interview, don’t assume anything….Ask It is okay to ask people how they identify Use the terms that people use for themselves (e.g., “gay,” “lesbian,” “trans,” etc.). This includes: He, She and They, etc. Language is a building block of respect and trust from the start of the employment process

How to show a commitment to equality and diversity in a job description The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status. The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

Retaining and Supporting LGBTQ Employees Discordance between Sexual Behavior and Self-Reported Sexual Identity: A Population-Based Survey of New York City Men. Pathela, P. 19 September 2006. Annals of Internal Medicine v. 145 no. 6: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=728543 O’Hanlan KA, Robertson PA, Cabaj R, Schatz B, Nemrow P. A review of the medical consequences of homophobia with suggestions for resolution. Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association1997; 1(1):25–39. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:JOLA.0000007009.83600.ae

Tools for retaining LGBTQ employees Train employees on LGBTQ diversity Show your commitment to diversity Create an LGBTQ employee network Provide benefits for partners/spouses of LGBTQ employees

Tools for retaining LGBTQ employees Come as you are to work Have LGBTQ Pride events in June Commit to fight for LGBTQ rights Ask LGBTQ employees, “How are we doing?”

We are everywhere… There are more than 9 million LGBTQ people in the United States. It’s fair to assume that you see, work with, care for and educate LGBTQ people every day.

How we can help… Questions? Comments? Cultural Responsiveness Training Technical Assistance Questions? Comments? Jeff Rindler, Executive Director Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center 300 Wall Street Kingston, NY 12401 j.rindler@lgbtqcenter.org lgbtqcenter.org