Debate | Symposium
LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion Symposium
- Date
- Thursday 5 September 2024
- Time
- Address
-
Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden - Room
- Telders Auditorium
Unlock the power of inclusivity at this year’s LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion Symposium, featuring keynote presentations by dr. Erin Cech (University of Michigan, USA) and Prof.dr. Jojanneke van der Toorn (Leiden University, NL) delving into the latest cutting-edge research on LGBTIQ+ inclusion. A panel including researchers and D&I professionals from the public and private sector will furthermore reflect on the research findings and recommendations, and share concrete examples of how organizations can build inclusive environments. Connect with fellow attendees over coffee and tea, fostering meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals committed to driving positive change in their respective organizations. Join us in this critical dialogue to make a difference and foster a workplace where everyone can belong and bring their authentic selves.
Programme
10:00-10:30 Doors open and registration
10:30-12:00 Symposium
- Welcome
Michiel Kolman, Senior Vice President at Elsevier and Co-chair of Workplace Pride. Jojanneke van der Toorn, Professor of LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion at Leiden University - The contours and contexts of LGBTIQ+ workforce inequality and how to confront them
Dr. Erin Cech, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan, USA - To be professional is to be straight?: Heteroprofessionalism at Work
Prof.dr. Jojanneke van der Toorn, Professor of LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion at Leiden University - Reflections and illustrations from the field
Panel discussion, moderated by Kshitij Mor, PhD candidate at Utrecht University - Closing and presentation of the Academia@Workplace Pride program for the academic year 2024/2025
Michiel Kolman, Senior Vice President at Elsevier and Co-chair of Workplace Pride
12.00-13.00 Coffee and Tea
Registration
The event is in-person but will be streamed and recorded for those not able to attend. Please register using the registration form.
Organisers
This event is organised by Jojanneke van der Toorn in collaboration with Academia@WorkplacePride. We can be contacted at lgbtqi.inclusion@gmail.com.
Accessibility
We would like the symposium to be accessible to everyone. We hope the absence of a participation fee and the possibility to view a live stream contribute to this. Please note that the symposium location is wheelchair accessible. We will make sure to ask the speakers to articulate clearly. We very much welcome your suggestions for how we can be more inclusive.
Livestream
For a recording of the live stream and the presentation slides, see the 2024 LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion Symposium page.
Abstracts
The contours and contexts of LGBTIQ+ workforce inequality and how to confront them
Dr. Erin Cech (Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan)
How does LGBTIQ+ inequality manifest in the workforce? This talk will begin with an overview of the various ways this inequality can show up: disadvantages can emerge not only in feelings of social marginalization, but in a lack of professional respect and opportunities and even negative health and wellness outcomes. I discuss the kinds of work contexts that can amplify or undermine these inequalities, using the science and tech sector as a case. I end by discussing the cultural “rhetorics of resistance” that employees and organization leaders sometimes use to block LGBTIQ+-inclusive diversification efforts and strategies for confronting those rhetorics.
To be professional is to be straight?: Heteroprofessionalism at work
Prof.dr. Jojanneke van der Toorn (Institute of Psychology at Leiden University)
This talk explores the intricate dynamics of heteroprofessionalism in the workplace, focusing on the repercussions of possessing and disclosing an LGBTIQ+ identity on employees’ well-being and career trajectories. It delves into how disclosing a queer identity can be a double-edged sword, with disclosure perceived as unprofessional while concealment is seen as dishonest. The talk also addresses the diverse experiences within different subgroups of the LGBTIQ+ community, underscoring the complex challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ individuals in professional settings, and advocates for inclusive organizational policies that support authenticity and professional equality for LGBTIQ+ employees.