Dimensions in Diversity
Watson
DW-Briefing Paper 10/16/08 Dimensions in Diversity I chose to research this topic particularly to broaden my understanding of sexual orientation in the workplace. The information that I found was very interesting, considering attitudes and practices concerning sexual orientation are undergoing dramatic change (Lubensky, Hollland, Wiethoff, Crosby, 2004). On a personal level, I have not found sexual orientation to hinder my professional development. Apparently for larger corporations, such as Eastman Kodak and IBM, many strides are being made to achieve a "gay-friendly" workplace. Although their intentions are meant well, I do not feel as if I agree with all of their practices. On the other hand, the US Army has gone as far as expelling their gay and lesbian members.
Background Information
In the late 40 's, homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder, and most social scientists that paid attention to the issue at all were engaged in the development of treatments to change into heterosexuals those who expressed gay or lesbian feelings (Silverstein, 1991). I cannot believe that almost 70 years later, we, as a country are still so ignorant as to want to "change" homosexual 's feelings and behaviors. This is not to say we have not made any advancement in narrow-minded thinking. The Gallup Poll finds that a gay, lesbian, and bisexual lifestyle has accordingly become more acceptable over time. For the first time since Gallup started collecting data in 1977, more than half of the general population feels that homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal (Newport, 2001).
One behavioral indicator of the change in attitudes is the growth in the number of groups that advocate on the behalf of the homosexual population (Lubensky, Holland, Wiethoff, Crosby, 2004). The Human Rights Campaign was founded in 1980 to provide a national voice to the gay and lesbian issues. This campaign lobbies congress, invests in
DW-Briefing Paper 10/16/08 Dimensions in Diversity I chose to research this topic particularly to broaden my understanding of sexual orientation in the workplace. The information that I found was very interesting, considering attitudes and practices concerning sexual orientation are undergoing dramatic change (Lubensky, Hollland, Wiethoff, Crosby, 2004). On a personal level, I have not found sexual orientation to hinder my professional development. Apparently for larger corporations, such as Eastman Kodak and IBM, many strides are being made to achieve a "gay-friendly" workplace. Although their intentions are meant well, I do not feel as if I agree with all of their practices. On the other hand, the US Army has gone as far as expelling their gay and lesbian members.
Background Information
In the late 40 's, homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder, and most social scientists that paid attention to the issue at all were engaged in the development of treatments to change into heterosexuals those who expressed gay or lesbian feelings (Silverstein, 1991). I cannot believe that almost 70 years later, we, as a country are still so ignorant as to want to "change" homosexual 's feelings and behaviors. This is not to say we have not made any advancement in narrow-minded thinking. The Gallup Poll finds that a gay, lesbian, and bisexual lifestyle has accordingly become more acceptable over time. For the first time since Gallup started collecting data in 1977, more than half of the general population feels that homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal (Newport, 2001).
One behavioral indicator of the change in attitudes is the growth in the number of groups that advocate on the behalf of the homosexual population (Lubensky, Holland, Wiethoff, Crosby, 2004). The Human Rights Campaign was founded in 1980 to provide a national voice to the gay and lesbian issues. This campaign lobbies congress, invests in
Bibliography: Harrison, Sarah (2008). Equality for Gay Staff Can Only be Good for the Workforce as a Whole. Nursing Standard, 22 (22), p. 12-13 Lubensky, Micah E., Holland, Sarah L., Wiethoff, Carolyn, Crosby, Faye J. (2004). Diversity and Sexual Orientation: Including and Valuing Sexual Minorities in the Workplace. In the Psychology and Management of Workplace Diversity (Margaret S. Stockdale and Faye J. Crosby Eds.), Blackwell Publishing; Malden, M.A., p. 206-223. Web Resources Billings-Harris, Lenora, Sexual Orientation in the Workplace. Retrieved April 1, 2008 http://sideroad.com/Diversity_in_the_Workplace/sexual-orientation-in-the-workplace.html Personal Statement I feel that by surveying and identifying their gay and lesbian employees, companies are exploiting them. Companies may even bring about more discrimination by identifying its homosexual population. They are not asking the behind-closed-doors activities of their heterosexual population. It is blatant inequity of the treatment of employees. A person’s sexual preference does not affect all aspects of their life. It should certainly not be a factor in determining how well I perform my job. Discrimination of ANY kind, whether pertaining to gender, race, or sexual orientation should not be tolerated anywhere at anytime. Being gay shouldn’t affect how you treat others or how to interact with co-workers.