We are excited to announce that the full report Breaking the Lavender Ceiling for LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors is now available.
This report was sponsored by the Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE) at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors Canada and the 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. We are grateful to Professor Sarah Kaplan of GATE for her tremendous work as the leader in this ground-breaking research.
* A review of research on LGBTQ+ inclusion in organizations more broadly give us clues into the sources of the “lavender ceiling” of barriers that prevent LGBTQ+ people from entering and rising up into top leadership.
* LGBTQ+ people experience discrimination in applying for and interviewing for jobs, in their daily work experiences once they get jobs, and in their exclusion from networks that could lead to promotion opportunities. This leads to feelings of isolation, lack of engagement and higher turnover.
* LGBTQ+ employees experience a disclosure dilemma at work with differing results: come out, or stay in the closet.
* LGBTQ+ employees have multiple intersecting identities—related to gender, race, disability, immigrant status, Indigeneity or other—which can result in different experiences at work.
* LGBTQ+ employees can be agents for change, but they should not be alone in this effort.
* Peers, supervisors, organizational leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders can create more inclusive organizations by becoming strong allies, implementing effective training, setting strong cultures and developing inclusive policies and practices.
This extensive report is must reading for everyone. It provides a clear statement of the issues, outlines how changes can be made, and presents the case for that change.
In an op-ed for The Globe and Mail, the President of the LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors Canada Jane Griffith and Professor Sarah Kaplan discuss barriers that keep LGBTQ+ people out of leadership roles and board directorships, and what corporates can do to help.
You can view the full report in both English and French HERE.