LGBTQIA+ inclusion: Is it mere lip service in India Inc?
A born-male hotel executive who identified as a woman had a request of her HR head. She wanted to work in the reception desk of the hotel in a sari. The senior approved.
Next morning, the executive in a sari drew attention from many guests, but the decision worked in the hotel’s favour. That one nod upped ratings from many guests and bolstered its brand image of being an inclusive company. Now, in an ideal world, an employee being denied a role because of any orientation is unacceptable.
But since we do not reside in such a world, the letters LGBTQIA+ (abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and any other identities) could take time to percolate through the layers of most organizations. But time is not a luxury that India Inc has. Today, different generations huddled in the same office want the voices of all genders and orientation, with any kind of fluidity, to be heard pronto.
A single protest from the young and disillusioned on social media could hurt a company’s brand image, impacting its employee attraction ability and more. “It has taken more than 50 years for society and thereby companies to notice the impact women leaders bring to an organization. Getting them to accept different orientations, which are also evolving, will take a lot more years," observes a senior HR executive who conducts DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) training sessions for business leaders of a conglomerate.
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