Intersections at work

2 Diversity Council Australia (DCA) is proud to be working on this important area of LGBTQ inclusion with Pride in Diversity. In 2018, DCA conducted research exploring the experiences of LGBTIQ+ workers in Australia. Our research showed how important LGBTIQ+ inclusive organisations are. When we spoke with culturally diverse LGBTQ people in focus groups, we heard a different message about their experiences of workplace inclusion to what was coming through in our survey data. What we were hearing in those conversations was that people who were culturally diverse and LGBTQ are navigating multiple identities, and often experience multiple forms of discrimination at work. And that for some people, current workplace D&I initiatives aren’t addressing these nuances of their intersectional identities. This was a similar message to what we heard previously from culturally diverse women aspiring to leadership in Australia: that their experiences were complex, and that workplaces initiatives were addressing aspects of their identities in isolation from one another. When we spoke with Pride in Diversity, they also were hearing something similar from their members. This research collaboration attempts to start addressing this gap by sharing the insights of culturally diverse LGBTQ workers about the actions Australian organisations can take to create more inclusive workplaces. We are so grateful for the thoughtful and valuable contributions from the almost 200 participants in this research. It is the insights of people with lived experience that have helped us develop this guidance for workplaces. Lisa annese , Chief Executive Officer, Diversity Council Australia.