What Real Inclusion Looks Like at Work When You’re LGBTQ+ 7 | 23

Radical Candor: Communication at Work

We’re celebrating Pride Month, and to kick us off, Amy and Brandi get real about the unfiltered, often uncomfortable truth of being LGBTQ+ in the workplace—where invisibility can feel safer than honesty, and “inclusion” doesn’t always include you. In this 'best of' episode, they unpack the messy layers of LGBTQ+ identity at work—from pronoun politics and people-pleasing to being “the only one” in the room. If you’ve ever felt unseen at work—or want to ensure your team doesn’t have to—this one’s for you. Showing up matters more than getting it perfect.

Get all of the show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠RadicalCandor.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode Links:

• Transcript

• Radically Candid Pride: Coming Out at Work

• Coming Out – Human Rights Campaign

• 7 Myths About Coming Out at Work

• Coming Out at Work

• Pride Month Shows Employers Have a Long Way to Go

• Supporting LGBTQ+ Workers’ Mental Health

• Beyond rainbow washing: Supporting LGBTQ+ at work and beyond

• How to support the LGBTQ+ community at work and beyond

• What Not To Say to Someone Who Has Come Out As Bisexual

• Coming out at work: transgender scientists share their stories

• Nearly half of LGBTQ employees in the US think being “out” at work is a bad career move

• Why Bisexual Adults Report Higher Rates of Mental Distress – The New York Times

• The 10 Most Groundbreaking Bisexual Characters of All Time

• Your Guide to the Best Online LGBTQ+ Counseling Options in 2023

• Read the ‘Yep, I’m Gay’ Ellen DeGeneres Interview From 1997

• Attitude: As Bisexual Awareness Week approaches, four bisexuals tell us if they feel accepted in 2023

Connect:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Kim and Amy introduce the episode focusing on coming out at work.

(00:01:42) Why Representation Matters

Statistics on workplace discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ employees.

(00:05:22) Pronouns, Labels & Personal Identity

The limiting nature of pronouns and labelling oneself.

(00:09:52) Living a Double Life

Dating secretly and the sense of being "othered" in mainstream culture.

(00:13:06) The Limited Supply

The isolation created by the absence of a visible queer community.

(00:17:37) The Spiritual Journey & Other Closets

How the act of coming out led to a deeper exploration of spirituality.

(00:19:37) The Cost of Hiding at Work

The emotional and psychological toll of being closeted in the workplace.

(00:21:04) Finally Coming Out at Work

The slow, iterative process of coming out and how Radical Candor helped.

(00:23:21) The Bisexual Experience at Work

The unique stigmas bisexuals face within and outside LGBTQ+ spaces.

(00:28:15) Words, Labels & Inner Homophobia

The complexity of identity labels and how internalized bias can shape them.

(00:32:37) The Power of Representation in Media

The importance of media characters who normalize LGBTQ+.

(00:36:26) Inclusion & the Privilege of Presentation

Soliciting inclusive feedback and how privilege shapes perceptions.

(00:40:21) Hair as Identity & Microaggressions

A painful but powerful story about being judged for appearances.

(00:43:40) Being the Only One in the Room

The exhaustion of being the sole representative of marginalized identities.

(00:46:30) Making Mistakes & Owning Them

The role of feedback and straight allies in creating inclusive spaces.

(00:49:43) What Allies Can Do

A story about support when encountering a homophobic comment.

(00:52:03) Setting Boundaries

The importance of respecting privacy and rejecting invasive curiosity

(00:54:29) Radical Candor Tips

Key takeaways on supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues

(00:58:12) Conclusion

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