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Lesbian Woman In Tech | WiT Nottingham
- 2. @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts “Yeah. If I were you, I’d keep it on the down low.” LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH
- 3. Anything for an easy life. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 4. 62% of graduates go back into the closet when they enter the job market LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 5. We’ve still got quite a way to go just as women. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 6. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts 74% 25%
- 7. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH 29% @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 8. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH 63% @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 9. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH Men earn £1.48 per hour more than women. @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 10. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH 0 0.75 1.5 2.25 3 3.75 L S G @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 11. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 12. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 13. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 14. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 15. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 16. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 17. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 18. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “Wow! You don’t look gay!” @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 19. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “You just haven't found the right man.” @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 20. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “But, how do you know you’re gay?” @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 21. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “Which one is the man?” @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 22. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “Just say you’re not interested, you don’t have to pretend to be a lesbian.” @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 23. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “I bet I could turn you.” @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 24. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “Can I watch?” @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 25. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 26. We have all experienced homophobia. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 27. 1 in 5 have experienced verbal bullying at work in the last five years. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 28. 1/4 are not out to any colleagues. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 29. 1/3 are not out to any of their managers or their senior colleagues. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 30. Role Model LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 31. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 32. Be an ally. LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts
- 33. @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts “Unless you consciously include, you will unconsciously exclude.” STEPHEN FROST LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH
- 34. What can organisations do? LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts • Policies • Training • Monitoring • Network Groups • Public Commitments • Senior Leadership • Strategy
- 35. What can organisations do? LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts • Policies • Training • Monitoring • Network Groups • Public Commitments • Senior Leadership • Strategy
- 36. What can organisations do? LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts • Policies • Training • Monitoring • Network Groups • Public Commitments • Senior Leadership • Strategy
- 37. What can organisations do? LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts • Policies • Training • Monitoring • Network Groups • Public Commitments • Senior Leadership • Strategy
- 38. What can organisations do? LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts • Policies • Training • Monitoring • Network Groups • Public Commitments • Senior Leadership • Strategy
- 39. What can organisations do? LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts • Policies • Training • Monitoring • Network Groups • Public Commitments • Senior Leadership • Strategy
- 40. What can organisations do? LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts • Policies • Training • Monitoring • Network Groups • Public Commitments • Senior Leadership • Strategy
- 41. @RebeccaBrocton // @WeAreJH#WiTNotts LESBIAN WOMAN IN TECH “We are, at almost every point of our day, immersed in cultural diversity: faces, clothes, smells, attitudes, values, traditions, behaviours, beliefs, rituals.” RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
Editor's Notes
- So I’m a lesbian woman in tech. I’ve been out for about 7 years now, but it still gives me butterflies to say that to you. I am super proud to be gay. I am definitely not ashamed of it. But that feeling is still their every time. If you don’t know what I mean, the way I would describe the feeling is to imagine you are telling someone you love them And you’re happy about it, and you know it in your deepest depths to be true But you don’t know if they will accept it or love you back. And so you say it, and then you have that second, or half a second that feels like forever where you wait for a response Will it be good, will it be bad, will it be awkward Who knows whats going to happen!
- The first time I experienced saying something like this in a professional environment was back in 2011 I had not long started an Advanced Apprenticeship for IT and Telecoms Professionals One day I was with one of my lecturers, just casually chatting And I honestly cannot remember how it came up but he asked me something about my boyfriend And I responded with, actually - I have a girlfriend. This didn’t really seem to phase him, awesome He just said, ah great - have you told anyone else here? I said no, it hasn’t come up to be honest. This was his response. Yeah, If I were you, I’d keep it on the down low. Not really what you want or need to hear as a teen who’s not long accepted this truth about herself. Now I don’t think my lecturer was in any way homophobic And I honestly think this was said with best intentions Those good old ignorant best intentions. I imagine he thought this would be the easy option for me I was already the only girl in the class, did I really want to make life harder and alienate myself further?
- It’s easier to just be heteronormative. Heck, I was already going against the grain being a woman in this field of work, why try and capsize this boat I’m rocking? Sexual orientation has nothing to do with the workplace So, I embarked on my career and got my first job at a web agency. Where no one knew I was gay. I worked there for two years, But because I was unable to fully be myself I was both unhappy and disconnected from my work. I was constantly on guard I didn’t make a single friend, I had to be so careful of the language I used Even when answering simple everyday questions There’s always the self-censoring about what I did last night, who I was with, What I’m up to on the weekend. It takes a lot of energy It’s exhausting and so it’s easier to just stay withdrawn from people. And be isolated.
- According to research by LGBT charity Stonewall, 62% of graduates go back in to the closet when they start work. Just like I did, just like I know a lot of my friends did and still are. It takes up to 30% of your mental energy to hide this core part of who you are if you work for an organisation that doesn’t feel truly inclusive. Thats 30% of productivity, innovation and problem solving that’s being misused on alienating ourselves. Yes, as LGBT+ employees we’ve had legal protection against discrimination since 2003 but making workplaces inclusive is about more than rules and regulations And despite good work being done by many organisations to tackle this tens of thousands of LGBT+ people still feel it’s just too risky to bring their whole selves to work.
- A lot of lesbians in the workplace don’t want to put their hands up twice: We’ve already got one strike against us in terms of a diversity box that you check. As a lesbian that’s the second one as well. If you’re an ethnic minority lesbian then you’ve got three. As a woman and as an ethnic minority you can’t hide that, People feel that it’s hard enough. without having to take on board any sort of mission or responsibility for calling out that we’re part of the LGBTQ+ community as well. We’ve still got quite a way to go, just as women.
- 74% of young girls express an interest in computer science yet Women currently hold only 25 percent of computing jobs.
- Women in the tech industry under the age of 25 earn 29% less than their male counterparts and
- 63% of the time women receive lower salary offers than men for the same job at the same company!
- In Nottinghamshire men earn £1.48 per hour more than women. The gender pay gap here is 11.6%. This is equivalent to women working unpaid from 18 November.
- And this is what it looks like for a lesbian couple, When you put two women together that creates a larger gap.
- Ah the closet. If you’re in there and you know it clap your hands. Funny thing about this closet that us gays reside in, is that it has spring hinges. Open it
- And it Closes
- Open it
- Closes again
- Open it again
- Closes again
- JUST STAY OPEN Why is this, you didn’t ask?
- This is so often said as a compliment, most of the time people don’t realise exactly what they are saying But I can tell you it is not a compliment. Often I just brush past it but if I’m in a bad mood Shit - Did my hair get long? Oh I forgot my giant rainbow flag again. My fault, I should know better. Please, tell me how to look gay so this doesn’t happen again. Or how about I just keep looking how I look and you drop the stereotypes. Anyway! This is the response I receive 60 times out of 100, The other 40 times it’s things such as
- Please, point this long haired, big boobed feminine man out to me.
- How do you know you’re not? How do you know you’re straight?
- Neither of us are the man, that’s kind of the point.
- Oh phew, all this time I’ve been married to a woman for no reason
- I know a guy I bet could turn you.
- Sure! No. There are so many classics, often they just laugh like I’m joking. I find it so frustrating that my sexuality is so hard for some to acknowledge But I didn’t come here to rant about it, much.
- How often do you have to share a deep meaningful truth about yourself And face that it may not be accepted? For me, and many other LGBTQ+ people, it’s all the time. I have to come out almost every single day. Whether it’s meeting new people, talking to clients, buying house insurance, signing up for a couples gym membership You would be amazed just how often it comes up and how often being heterosexual is presumed. What’s your husbands name, what does he do etc. Having to correct people is the worst. And I can tell you it never gets any easier. Every time I get that same knot in my stomach. I totally understand why people leave that closet door closed sometimes. There has been occasions where I’ve just let it go. Played along with being straight, some times I don’t have the energy to come out And go through that shit. As a cis, kinda femme lesbian I avoid a lot of hate. Not on purpose, this is just the way I look and want to be. I’m actually the gayest person I know! But I can walk down the street unnoticed in a way I know a lot of others can’t. Why is it a thing for people to shout LESBIANNNN when they spot one?
- I have never met, nor do I expect to meet in my lifetime, a gay person who has never experienced some form of homophobia. From an ignorant comment, to the most horrific of hate crimes. One in five lesbian, gay and bisexual employees have experienced verbal bullying at work in the last five years. Because of things like this, A quarter are not open to any colleagues about their sexual orientation. An a third aren’t open to any of their managers or their senior colleagues. Unfortunately, this means the LGBTQ+ community is Unconnected and lacking in role models at all levels. It’s full of people who are actually making it harder for themselves Keeping it a secret is exhausting, stressful and damaging not only their morale but also to that of the team To be ourselves & productive we need to feel included, supported, comfortable. And by being ourselves, we encourage and reassure others that they can too That’s what we need more of.
- One in five lesbian, gay and bisexual employees have experienced verbal bullying at work in the last five years. Because of things like this,
- A quarter are not open to any colleagues about their sexual orientation.
- And third aren’t open to any of their managers or their senior colleagues. Unfortunately, this means the LGBTQ+ community is Unconnected and lacking in role models at all levels. It’s full of people who are actually making it harder for themselves Keeping it a secret is exhausting, stressful and damaging not only their morale but also to that of the team To be ourselves & productive we need to feel included, supported, comfortable. And by being ourselves, we encourage and reassure others that they can too. That’s what we need more of.
- A person who serves as an example A role model Having lesbian, gay and bisexual role models is very important. It shows that, yes you can be who you are. Wholly & completely. Like everyone else on this planet, I’m not one thing - I’m all the things All the things that make me me Yes, I’m gay but I’m lots of other things as well. I’m a woman, I’m british, I work in eCommerce, I love disney films, I love music, I’m a youtuber, I’m a wife, I’m a tiny bit weird, I’m 1/4 welsh, I love gin, I’m a Magento Solution Specialist, I’m hungry, I’m still figuring it all out and I wish I’d had the influence of a role model at the beginning of my career in tech. I spent a long time thinking, is ‘lesbian’ the first thing I want my colleagues to think about me professionally? No. But I realised how damaging that mentality was for my confidence, my health, My performance and my career. Now I hope to become a role model for anyone and everyone I hope to see and find more role models in the workforce So that those unsure, closet dwellers know it’s ok to be themselves at work, all the time. No exceptions.
- Who here has seen this campaign from Stonewall? Hate crime against LGBT people is on the rise. People often don’t think it’s an issue any more but LGBT people in Britain continue to be attacked, assaulted and harassed because of their sexual orientation and gender identity It is difficult to fully be yourself everywhere at work, at home, or in your local communities. That’s why we all need allies to come out for LGBT.
- The term ‘ally’ describes people who do not identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans but who openly challenge the homophobic, biphobic and transphobic behaviour that obstructs equality for LGBT people They are essential to the creation of environments in which LGBT staff can fulfil their potential by feeling able to bring their whole selves to work. Being an ally goes beyond just LGBT, I’m an ally of the human race. People have lots of different elements to their identities Some I may share with them, others I won’t. Someone might be bisexual and also Asian, or trans and Catholic, gay and disabled, non-binary and dealing with a mental health issue. This may mean they suffer multiple levels of discrimination in their life. Being an ally is about listening to and learning from someone else's experiences and showing your support for them.
- This is a lot easier said than done though. As human beings we don’t like change, We are weary of different, We prefer everything to just be the same And if we don't consciously include we will unconsciously exclude. That is the point. So many companies don’t think they have a problem Ignorance may be bliss for the many, but what about the few who feel ignored?
- What can organisations do? Inclusive policies signal an employer’s commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for all staff. So they should use language that explicitly communicates equality and diversity and then promote these
- Awareness training for staff, especially for those that line manage others.
- If you don’t monitor lesbian, gay and bisexual staff, how can you monitor the reasons why staff are leaving properly? Employers should take into account sexual orientation during staff attitude surveys and at all stages of the employment cycle whilst ensuring the security and confidentiality of monitoring systems It should also be communicated that it’s anonymous, why this is important To collect and what actions will be taken
- We all like to feel included and a part of something and supported by those around us which is why network groups are so popular and why organisations should be involved in them. Look at the success of Lesbians Who Tech, Founded in 2012 they now have over 30 thousand members, events all over the world and their flagship summit in San Francisco pulls in over 5,000 attendees.
- Companies who publicly engage demonstrate a commitment to equality to current and potential staff, clients and customers.
- The notion that sexual orientation equality is important should trickle down from senior leaders and indicate that it should be implemented by everyone. It’s also been found that having senior people who are out gives a everyone lot more confidence in the companies culture.
- Embedding equality and diversity Have an organisation-wide strategy that links equality and diversity to wider organisational aims, objectives and outputs.
- The quote I want to end on is this from Randa Abdel-Fattah We are, at almost every point of our day, immersed in cultural diversity: faces, clothes, smells, attitudes, values, traditions, behaviours, beliefs, rituals. Diversity is everywhere No matter where you look or who you are. It’s Inclusion that is a choice.
- Ask a lesbian