Last week, the LGBT rights charity Stonewall released its Work Report – an 11-page document based on YouGov research conducted in 2017 with over 5000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across England, Scotland and Wales.
As part of the online questionnaire, respondents were asked about their experiences in the workplace in Britain. Here are some of the findings, which we feel may have particular relevance in the sports media industry, and questions that arise…
- Fewer than half of LGBT staff (44 per cent) say that senior managers in their workplace demonstrate visible commitment to lesbian, gay and bi equality.
We ask: How many sports media workplaces make it clear that LGBT+ staff are welcome?
- One in seven LGBT people (14 per cent) say they don’t feel able to be themselves at work. This increases to one in five for LGBT disabled people (21 per cent), LGBT young people aged 18 to 24 (21 per cent) and trans people (19 per cent) who don’t feel they can be themselves at work.
We ask: Do LGBT+ employees in sports media workplaces feel their environments are inclusive?
- More than a third of LGBT people (35 per cent) looking for work are worried about being discriminated against or harassed at work due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
We ask: When applying for work in sports media, do LGBT+ people feel there is a risk in being their authentic selves?
- More than one in six LGBT staff (17 per cent) were excluded by colleagues in the last year for being LGBT, doubling to a third of trans employees (34 per cent). LGBT young people aged 18 to 24 were excluded, 28 per cent, as were LGBT disabled people, 24 per cent, and black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBT staff, 22 per cent.
Comment: Do LGBT+ employees in sports media sometimes experience exclusion, and under what circumstances?
Sports Media LGBT+ urges you to read Stonewall’s ‘LGBT in Britain – Work Report‘, and consider how its findings might relate to you.
If you’d like to work with us to help make the sports media industry more inclusive, drop us an email at info@sportsmedialgbt.com – we’d love to hear from you, and explore how we can assist.