The term LGBTQ+ refers to a group of people who identify as lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers, or questioning, in addition to other sexual or gender minorities.
While identifying as LGBTQ+ may occur at any stage of a person’s life, acceptance may only happen after the initial recognition of a similar-sex sexual attraction or gender incongruence. Because the world isn’t friendly to LGBTQ+ people, it can be traumatising to learn that you might be considered a deviant, sinful, or even engaged in illegal activity.
LGBTQ+ people may be taught early in life that their fantasies or desires are not right as per society; they must be corrected or changed. This can impact their self-esteem, work relationship and family relations.
There are a variety of causes why LGBTQ+ people may delay exploring their sexuality and sex because society discourages them from following their natural impulses. It is also possible that LGBTQ+ individuals face dating milestones and form relationships later than their non-LGBTQ+ peers since they may not receive the support or modelling that their non-LGBTQ+ peers received.
Adolescent peer groups and proms are traditional developmental rituals that contribute to this process. Families unwilling to accept LGBTQ+ identities and who condemn LGBTQ+ relationships may undermine the relationship skills of LGBTQ+ people.
A majority of people believed that LGBTQ+ rights had been won in 2015 after the Supreme Court declared marriage a right for same-sex couples.
ISSUES AT THE WORKPLACE
It is also important to note that although the gains in recognition and legal protections were significant, same-sex marriage recognition alone couldn’t have addressed several longstanding LGBTQ+ issues, particularly those related to the workplace.
Over the last several decades, companies have increasingly paid attention to work-family conflicts and work-life balance. There is a significant investment in providing flexible work hours, time for personal activities, and convenience to employees in many successful businesses. Employers can maintain a more committed, happier, and healthier workforce by promoting a work-family culture.
- Discrimination & Harassment
Are companies improving their workplace environments when it comes to gender issues? In terms of diversity and inclusion, research suggests that they aren’t. LGBTQ+ employees are now protected by law in many countries. However, workplaces are often hostile towards LGBTQ+ employees despite some legal protections. LGBTQ+ people have reported discrimination by employers in the hiring process.
Discrimination and harassment are common among LGBTQ+ workers. Several factors can contribute to employee disengagement, including bathroom accessibility, inappropriate pronouns, and having to tolerate inappropriate questions. Despite experiencing many of the same conflicts as their heterosexual colleagues, LGBTQ+ employees suffer from additional conflicts relating to their stigmatised family identities. For example, their work time interferes with their family time.
When employees fear revealing their relationship with their same-sex partner, have a conflict over bringing their spouses to work events, and feel uncomfortable discussing family-related challenges with supervisors.
2. Less Growth & Development opportunities:
Businesses’ talent retention and leadership development are negatively impacted by these identity struggles and their health, happiness, and productivity. The lack of LGBTQ+ corporate leaders and acceptance among management limits the advancement opportunities for LGBTQ+ employees. LGBTQ+ employees are less likely to advance in their careers because of discrimination.
3. Identity Disclosure Issue
Often, LGBTQ+ workers feel unwelcome at work and hide their identity. The LGBT+ community who are ‘out’ at work spend less time hiding their personalities, which leads to greater confidence in themselves and advancement within the organisation. Many, however, remain hidden. According to a study, a third of LGBTQ+ individuals in the UK choose to avoid disclosing their sexuality at work. In order to avoid homophobia, exclusion, or being overlooked for valuable promotions, they hide their private lives from colleagues and clients. If you believe that revealing your sexuality will affect work relations, it can be difficult to evade questions about your family life on the factory floor or in a board meeting.
In order to avoid or minimise attention, LGBTQ+ employees change their behaviour at work to hide stigmatised traits. Unfortunately, their health and well-being can be negatively affected by this stress.
4. Quitting the Jobs
In spite of the widespread lack of understanding of the issue, LGBTQ+ people, whose sexuality is misjudged and discriminated against, don’t want to face the stigma and leave their well-settled jobs. Employees who are LGBTQ+ are pushed out of their jobs by unsupportive workplace cultures, non-inclusion and derogatory remarks by bosses and peers.
ISSUES AT HOME
- Confusion and Acceptance Issues
It is estimated that most LGBTQ+ youths are children of heterosexual parents. At first, the parents get confused when they get to know about the sexual preferences of their child. They want their child to conform to societal norms. They confuse the sexuality of the child with mental sickness or other things. Accepting the sexual orientation of these people is hard for parents; their most common response is denial.
Often, these parents are implicitly or explicitly opposed to homosexuality and expect their children to be heterosexual. It is also possible for parents to react negatively to their children if they belong to a sexual minority.
Parents with negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ youth may react with anxiety and concern about their child’s future or even banish the child from home.
2. Attachment Issues
There is an elevated rate of parenting abuse and a lower level of parental attachment among members LGBTQ+ community compared with their heterosexual siblings. Child abuse rates among transgender youth are also higher than those among their cisgender peers. A greater proportion of sexual minority youth report less secure attachments with fathers than heterosexual peers and siblings. Parents may react negatively to a child’s gender nonconformity due to adverse social views.
3. Communication Issues
Most members of the LGBTQ+ community find it hard to convey their reality at home as they don’t want disputes and abusive reactions from family members. They feel that their issue will not be understood and will be ridiculed. On the other hand, parents also refrain from talking about this topic and either deny it or avoid it altogether.
4. Spousal relationship & Parenting Issues
Sometimes an individual comes to know about the sexuality of their spouse at a later period, after marriage or even after having a child. This reveal can cause severe damage to the marital bliss and spousal relationship. Separation may also occur in these cases. Not only this it can also affect the parenting style but also enhance the arguments related to the upbringing/ custody of the child it.
The factors mentioned above are hampering the work-family relationships of LGBTQ+ people. Not only societal but also personal relationships are affected by the pressure and stress they face at home and at work.
God Bless!
Faith n Love,
RJ
rjfaithnlove 
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