Empowering Inclusion: Surveying LGBTQ+ Health Care Professionals Experiences in the Workplace |
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| Coordinator 1 | Dr Angelo Moretti (Utrecht University) |
| Coordinator 2 | Mr Tom Dörr (Independent equality, diversity and inclusion management ) |
There is a significant lack of empirical survey research in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) health care professionals, which is an important hard-to-reach population. Issues of discrimination and exclusion in the workplace are largely ignored by health care education and professional organisations. Preliminary qualitative studies indicate that many workplaces lack policies and procedures to make LGBTQ+ health care professionals feel safe and included. Instances of discriminatory behaviour or verbal harassment from co-workers, managers, and patients have been reported, sometimes leading to serious consequences for LGBTQ+ health care professionals. These have expressed the need for a professional organisation to educate the health care profession and the general population about LGBTQ+ issues and to address their advocacy and healthcare policy needs. Efforts to improve the workplace climate for LGBTQ+ employees would require changes in workplace policies, but also education of the healthcare workforce, and finally advocacy from health care workers professional organisations.
Sexual and/or gender minority health care professionals often face heteronormativity and cisnormativity, resulting in open discrimination. Empowering these individuals to bring their full, authentic selves to work requires institutes and cisgender or straight allies to support LGBTQ+ communities by fostering a culture of inclusivity and enacting progressive policies. Empirical evidence is essential for this.
In this session, we welcome submissions on survey projects aiming to study these issues. Both methodological innovations and substantive applications are welcomed.