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The Sound of Silence. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Discrimination in ‘Inclusive Organizations’
Author(s) -
Priola Vincenza,
Lasio Diego,
De Simone Silvia,
Serri Francesco
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
british journal of management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.407
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1467-8551
pISSN - 1045-3172
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8551.12043
Subject(s) - transgender , lesbian , inclusion (mineral) , silence , disadvantaged , sociology , gender studies , ethos , queer , diversity (politics) , sexual orientation , sexual identity , employment discrimination , identity (music) , homosexuality , political science , human sexuality , law , philosophy , physics , anthropology , acoustics , aesthetics
Most studies on diversity and discrimination in the workplace have focused on ‘visible’ minorities such as gender or race, often neglecting the experiences of invisible minorities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) workers. In this paper we explore the practices of inclusion/exclusion of LGBTs in the workplace in Italian social cooperatives, which are specifically founded to create employment for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market. The study examines how organizations, which have an ethos focused on inclusion and mainly employ workers from specific social minority groups, manage the inclusion of LGBT workers. We also explore the experience of LGBT workers within these organizations. The paper reports that the culture of silence existing in the five organizations studied prevents LGBT employees from constructing a work identity which encompasses their sexual identity and prevents the organizations from achieving their aim of being fully inclusive workplaces.