In parallel worlds, let’s follow the lives of three members;
Rhye, an activist who identifies as transgender facilitates an Instagram live session discussing transgender rights and visibility. One commenter expresses the belief that being transgender is a mental illness and suggests that transgender individuals need therapy to “fix” their confusion about their gender identity. This leaves Rhye feeling frightened.
Khai, a non-binary person, is excluded from their community because traditional beliefs within the community dictate strict gender roles and binary understandings of gender. Despite their deep faith, Khai feels alienated and unwelcome in their community, unable to reconcile their gender identity with the beliefs and teachings of the faith.
Raj enters the office on his first day as a Software Developer at XYZ Inc. As he walks across the hall, he happens to come across a group of people with one person yelling out loud “What is non-binary now? This is such western humbug that your generation has fabricated”. Raj is taken aback and questions his safety at work.
The above-listed instances of discrimination and non-inclusion have one thing in common.
A common underlying misconception about gender is that “Gender is determined at birth, exists in binaries, and remains constant throughout”
Instances of non-inclusive behaviors from microaggressive comments to harassment and overt discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community serve as stark reminders of the work still needed to challenge and dismantle harmful beliefs.
Drawing inspiration from the Charmed Circle by Gayle Rubin, an American cultural anthropologist known for their work in understanding sexuality and queer theory.
The charmed circle gives us an insight into what society often perceives as “the normal/normative” which could constitute a set of sexual practices, identities, and relationships that are considered socially acceptable forming the inner circle.
Meanwhile, practices and identities outside this circle are often labeled as “other” and subjected to marginalization and societal shame.
This binary perception in line with traditional gender norms perpetuates the notion that gender exists in binaries i.e, there are only two distinct and fixed genders.
Traditionally, the gender of an infant was assigned at birth by looking at biological aspects such as genitalia and confirming if the infant would be either male or female.
The infant continues to grow into a child and an adult, this gender assigned at birth remains and determines how they experience the world. Well, this was at least how they thought gender worked for a very loooong time.
Understanding gender begins with acknowledging that an individual’s gender assigned at birth does not determine how they experience gender across various stages of life.
Today, more awareness is being created around harmful beliefs about gender and sexuality. People are actively challenging the binaries and view gender and sexuality with more fluidity as opposed to previously held rigid constructs. These conversations even extend to the larger workplace context.
So what steps can organisations take to break the binary?
Tackling a larger system that has been around for centuries and can be deeply ingrained in societal structures requires a multifaceted approach.
Education is key. By promoting understanding and acceptance of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, we can begin to dismantle the rigid binaries that have long constrained individuals.
While fun activities and a colorful array of rainbow-themed goodies in the workplace can get one curious about the festivities, real inclusion begins with education. This can be achieved through attending forums where you can ask questions and accessing diverse mediums such as books, podcasts, articles, etc which can help in building knowledge.
Remember to not place the responsibility of education on your colleagues from the LGBTQIA+ community to teach you things, learn them yourself.
In the workplace, organisations can put in place practices and processes to make the conversation on Pride 360°. This can look like:
- Hosting sensitisation workshops for employees across levels periodically [Not only during Pride month],
- Reviewing internal policies and processes such as dress code and anti-harassment and discrimination policies, any medical and financial benefits, hiring and recruitment processes, etc to ensure trans and non-binary persons’ inclusion
- Making use of inclusive language and communication a practice
- Ensuring equal access to opportunities for members of all diverse identities and more
As an organisation, your efforts do not end here. Stereotype-driven behavior such as microaggressions and non-verbal expressions of intrinsic homophobia can perpetuate inequities exposing LGBTQIA+ members to mental and even physical threats.
It is also important to examine existing cultural norms (even the subtle unvoiced norms) that might restrict inclusion in the workplace.
Stay tuned for part 2 of the article where we will explore gender and sexual identities in depth.
Would like to learn more about Pride Inclusion, write to us at hello@serein.in