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Out List (Employer LGBTQ List)

Hawk_82

HR Heisman
Sep 17, 2006
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Is it appropriate for an employer to post an "Out List" where they list everyone who is LGBTQ. The list only publish names for people who volunteer the information. It lists their sexual preference/gender identity/pronouns.

I find this to be weird that an employer will post this information for anyone to see. It seems a little like a dating profile to me. Can anyone give me a good reason why it is necessary for people to have a running list of who the LGBTQ employees sleep with?
 
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Is it appropriate for an employer to post an "Out List" where they list everyone who is LGBTQ. The list only publish names for people who volunteer the information. It lists their sexual preference/gender identity/pronouns.

I find this to be weird that an employer will post this information for anyone to see. It seems a little like a dating profile to me. Can anyone give me a good reason why it is necessary for people to have a running list of who the LGBTQ employees sleep with?
WHAT ARE YOUR PRONOUNS?
 
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WHAT ARE YOUR PRONOUNS?
No one cares what i am, im straight.

thats why i think this seems weird. it seems like they should care how everyone identifies, and who they like to sleep with; not just people who are lgbtq.

Also, why would an employer need to know who you are attracted to? And why would everyone need to have access to a list?
 
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I’m on a NFP board for an organization and this sort of thing comes up quite a bit (DEI focus like anybody else). Wonderful intentions - really great people - but there have been some awkward moments.

A few weeks ago they were telling a story about a trans that came out and was a surprise. Executive director said “We love it when that happens that we didn’t know. We talk about that all the time”

“We are still very white, but excel with LBGQ. We really take lots of pride in that”

It struck me as an incredibly unnatural exchange - like it was what they thought they were supposed to say.

People are trying. They just don’t know what the hell to do. It reminds me of that “not that there’s anything wrong with that Seinfeld” where George yells out “my fathers gay” to explain why he is ok with gays

Maybe I’m the weird and awkward one 🤷‍♀️ and spare key then “unnatural” jokes
 
No one cares what i am, im straight.

thats why i think this seems weird. it seems like they should care how everyone identifies, and who they like to sleep with; not just people who are lgbtq.

Also, why would an employer need to know who you are attracted to? And why would everyone need to have access to a list?
If you don't center "queer identities" you are actively genociding them.
 
I’m on a NFP board for an organization and this sort of thing comes up quite a bit (DEI focus like anybody else). Wonderful intentions - really great people - but there have been some awkward moments.

A few weeks ago they were telling a story about a trans that came out and was a surprise. Executive director said “We love it when that happens that we didn’t know. We talk about that all the time”

“We are still very white, but excel with LBGQ. We really take lots of pride in that”

It struck me as an incredibly unnatural exchange - like it was what they thought they were supposed to say.

People are trying. They just don’t know what the hell to do. It reminds me of that “not that there’s anything wrong with that Seinfeld” where George yells out “my fathers gay” to explain why he is ok with gays

Maybe I’m the weird and awkward one 🤷‍♀️ and spare key then “unnatural” jokes
This begs the question. What is the proper way to be supportive?
Be like this example and make a big deal about it?
or
Say, ”Ok”, and move on treating them normal like everyone else?
 
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A theory with no basis:

If a particularly sensitive "they" who looks like a "he" is called "he" by another employee who doesn't know any better, the "they" could sue for hostile work environment.

IF the employer is seen to be making an effort before that happens, they can shift the blame to the employee who ignorantly referred to the "they" as a "he."

Seems like something lawyers and insurance carriers might think of.
 
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I really don't understand the need for people to make a big deal about their sexuality. It's none of my business, and I truly don't care what consenting adults do with each other, or by themselves.
 
A theory with no basis:

If a particularly sensitive "they" who looks like a "he" is called "he" by another employee who doesn't know any better, the "they" could sue for hostile work environment.

IF the employer is seen to be making an effort before that happens, they can shift the blame to the employee who ignorantly referred to the "they" as a "he."

Seems like something lawyers and insurance carriers might think of.
Not a lawyer. But calling someone by the wrong pronoun unintentionally in and of itself isn't hostile. Doing so repeatedly after being corrected likely pushes into hostile territory though. Think of it this way. If my legal name was Matthew but I preferred being called Matt. Would someone calling me Matthew when they first meet me be construed as hostile? If I corrected that person but they then repeatedly and intentionally still called me Matthew, perhaps condescendingly, that could be hostile.

To your point, the employer making an effort before it happens is exactly why colleges are adding the pronoun stuff to emails and other things. I'm fully expecting corporations to start not just suggesting but mandating employees do that in the next few years.
 
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If I’m expected to refer to someone by specific pronouns then I kind of need to know what pronouns I’m supposed to use.
 
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Is it appropriate for an employer to post an "Out List" where they list everyone who is LGBTQ. The list only publish names for people who volunteer the information. It lists their sexual preference/gender identity/pronouns.

I find this to be weird that an employer will post this information for anyone to see. It seems a little like a dating profile to me. Can anyone give me a good reason why it is necessary for people to have a running list of who the LGBTQ employees sleep with?

Have a link or a story behind this??
 
A theory with no basis:

If a particularly sensitive "they" who looks like a "he" is called "he" by another employee who doesn't know any better, the "they" could sue for hostile work environment.

IF the employer is seen to be making an effort before that happens, they can shift the blame to the employee who ignorantly referred to the "they" as a "he."

Seems like something lawyers and insurance carriers might think of.
That asteroid needs to get a move on.....
 
Not a lawyer. But calling someone by the wrong pronoun unintentionally in and of itself isn't hostile. Doing so repeatedly after being corrected likely pushes into hostile territory though. Think of it this way. If my legal name was Matthew but I preferred being called Matt. Would someone calling me Matthew when they first meet me be construed as hostile? If I corrected that person but they then repeatedly and intentionally still called me Matthew, perhaps condescendingly, that could be hostile.

To your point, the employer making an effort before it happens is exactly why colleges are adding the pronoun stuff to emails and other things. I'm fully expecting corporations to start not just suggesting but mandating employees do that in the next few years.
Totally agree RE what makes something hostile or not, but people can sue for anything, and if I think logically about who is most likely to file a frivolous suit, it's someone who's extremely sensitive about their pronoun.
 
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Not a lawyer. But calling someone by the wrong pronoun unintentionally in and of itself isn't hostile. Doing so repeatedly after being corrected likely pushes into hostile territory though. Think of it this way. If my legal name was Matthew but I preferred being called Matt. Would someone calling me Matthew when they first meet me be construed as hostile? If I corrected that person but they then repeatedly and intentionally still called me Matthew, perhaps condescendingly, that could be hostile.

To your point, the employer making an effort before it happens is exactly why colleges are adding the pronoun stuff to emails and other things. I'm fully expecting corporations to start not just suggesting but mandating employees do that in the next few years.
I dont think it is acceptable to mandate someone to list pronouns. I dont identify with certain pronouns. I would answer to "hey you" if i thought someone was talking to me.
 
Have a link or a story behind this??
It was a link that is sent out to all staff, and also available to anyone who visits the site.

It just struck me as unnecessary and weird. I dont think this helps anyone in any way. As someone said above, would it be ok to have a straight list? Or a minority list? Or a disability list?
 
Why would a company do this, it makes no sense to me. It's a place of business, your sexual orientation/gender/pronouns are irrelevant unless you're working in a brothel of similar type of work. Just do your job well, this is dumb IMO.
 
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Is it appropriate for an employer to post an "Out List" where they list everyone who is LGBTQ. The list only publish names for people who volunteer the information. It lists their sexual preference/gender identity/pronouns.

I find this to be weird that an employer will post this information for anyone to see. It seems a little like a dating profile to me. Can anyone give me a good reason why it is necessary for people to have a running list of who the LGBTQ employees sleep with?
No good reason. Also no good reason for employees to provide that information.
 
It's a voluntary list so I don't really see a problem with it. How does it impact you? No one is forcing you to look at it, are they?
 
I spent 6 years learning and using pronouns according to general and widely accepted English and phonetic principles inside of a public-tax funded learning environment.

If I am now supposed to use the pronoun “they” as a pronoun for a singular person then I believe the employer or organizer requiring it should also give me another six years off from work so I can be properly retrained.
 
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Is it appropriate for an employer to post an "Out List" where they list everyone who is LGBTQ. The list only publish names for people who volunteer the information. It lists their sexual preference/gender identity/pronouns.

I find this to be weird that an employer will post this information for anyone to see. It seems a little like a dating profile to me. Can anyone give me a good reason why it is necessary for people to have a running list of who the LGBTQ employees sleep with?
Seems strange to me but I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
 
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Today’s WSJ has an article about a return to the office post-pandemic and how many LGBTQ+ persons have come out to their co-workers when they came back.
I bet there’s a measure of relief for both the person who comes out as well as
Co-workers who may have sensed or felt that the person was holding something back.
Hopefully it creates a welcoming environment in the office.
 
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