Just 35 per cent of LGBTQ professionals feel safe being their authentic selves at work

Welcome to this week's PinkNews Careers+ newsletter, and we all hope you had a wonderful National Coming Out Day! For us here, it was a day to reflect on our own experiences and to celebrate the opportunity to live our own authentic lives. The day was also a chance to acknowledge that many in the LGBTQ+ community still don't feel safe enough to come out to their colleagues and in their professional lives.

Speaking of authenticity, we'll also share new data that highlights the experience of our Black Gen Z colleagues and how they are also struggling to bring their authentic selves to work.

Finally, while it's not careers related we're going to share the LGBTQ+ icon that will be hosting the PinkNews Awards, taking place next week!

Just 35 per cent of LGBTQ professionals feel safe being their authentic selves at work

Choosing to come out to colleagues is a very personal decision. On one hand, it is a significant step towards authentic living and helps to foster an inclusive working environment. On the other, in some circumstances coming out could lead to harassment, being bullied and even have a negative effect on your career.

To coincide with National Coming Out Day (11 October), LinkedIn has released new figures focusing on the LGBTQ+ experience at work. The research offers insights into the process of coming out in a professional setting and some of the factors that should be considered.

Code-switching and burnout

LinkedIn’s data reveals that 75 per cent of LGBTQ+ professionals surveyed have engaged in a practice known as code-switching, wherein people modify their speech, behaviour or appearance to fit in with what is deemed the “norm” – often a survival strategy employed by many within the LGBTQ+ community.

This intentional inauthentic living takes a toll on those who feel forced to practise it. The figures show that more than half of LGBTQ+ people admitted that code-switching affected their mental health and 38 per cent said it is contributing to burnout.

"It is exhausting," says Andrew McCaskill , a career expert and director at LinkedIn.

"It leaves almost no energy for creativity, innovation and building strong relationships. That’s what every company and every career needs most: creativity, innovation and great relationships."

Read more here

Almost two-thirds of Black LGBTQ Gen Z people feel unable to be their authentic selves at work

New research reveals that Black Gen Z employees still face racism and hurdles around being their authentic selves in the workplace.

Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, currently make up about 15 per cent of the population in the UK. The eldest Gen Z cohorts are now well into their professional careers and shaping what work looks like as they progress.

According to the most recent census, Gen Z is the most ethnically diverse generation next to Generation Alpha (those born in the last decade) in England and Wales. Of the Gen Z population, 75 per cent are white, 12 per cent are Asian, six per cent are Black, a further 5 per cent are mixed race and three per cent belong to another ethnic group.

To highlight the experience of Black Gen Z employees, TapIn , a social agency reshaping how employers engage with diverse talent, has just published the second edition of its ThisIsBlackGenZ report.

The 2023 follow-up report surveyed over 2,300 Black Gen Z employees, taking an in-depth look into the Black Gen Z experience and sharing their career motivations to help provide employers with the tools to adequately support and nurture young Black talent.

Despite there being 2.4 million people in the Black community in England and Wales (four per cent of the population), 58 per cent of Black 18-24 year-olds and 52 per cent of 25-34 year-olds have experienced racism at work in the last five years.

Commenting on the report, Tiana Holgate, head of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at TapIn, says: "It’s saddening that over half of Black 18-24-year-olds have experienced racism at work in the last five years."

Read more here

Rylan to host the PinkNews Awards 2023 celebrating the biggest LGBTQ+ moments of the year

Broadcaster, author and LGBTQ+ legend Rylan is set to host the 2023 PinkNews Awards, sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group.

The awards will return for their 10th year on Wednesday, 18 October in central London. The annual event brings together the UK’s biggest and brightest LGBTQ+ icons and most influential change-makers, ground-breakers and scene-shakers.

This year’s event, which sees WeAre8 join as presenting partner, will bring a dash of glitter to the capital’s social calendar.

Starting his career as a breakthrough contestant on The X Factor and winning Celebrity Big Brother shortly after, Rylan is a national treasure. From hosting Eurovision semi-finals and his own weekly Radio 2 show to appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside his iconic mother Linda, Rylan is one of the UK’s most sought-after broadcasters.

On hosting the 2023 PinkNews Awards, Rylan said: "What a year it’s been for the LGBTQ+ community. From the challenges we’ve faced, to the increased visibility we’ve seen on our screens, these awards are all about celebrating the people and companies that are making a difference.

We'll see you on 18 October!"

Read more here

Other PinkNews Articles

Check out some of the headlines you may have missed recently:

• Most US voters in favour of introducing more LGBTQ+ protections (Read here)

• Stop the Hate campaign sees 1000+ constituents email MPs about rising hate crimes (Read here)

• Ron DeSantis denies any Florida book bans in ‘gender-ideology’ rant (Read here)

• Elon Musk given EU ultimatum over misinformation on X/Twitter over Israel-Hamas crisis (Read here)

A special note: We'll be taking next week off for final preparations for the PinkNews Awards 2023

This week's newsletter was curated by and features an article from Erik Niewiarowski, along with articles from Chantelle Billson, Amelia Hansford, and Ali Condon.

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