BBC wants 50% of LGBT staff to be “out”

[PPNC]

The new BBC diversity plan wants at least 50% of LGBT staff to be “out” to their boss. AIBU to think this is regressive and insane?

Why should I (if I were both gay and worked at the BBC), say “hey boss person, I like shagging other women!”. Why are they asking instead of aiming for it not mattering who I choose to bump uglies with,
as it doesn’t affect my ability to do my job and is not really anybody else’s business?

Fully happy to be re-educated and told that A - the DM have read it wrong (as they are an agitator totally possible), or B - it’s essential for equality.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9295787/amp/BBCs-diversity-directive-Director-Tim-Davie-launches-bottom-shake-up.html

It’s the BBC, what do you expect?

The entire organisation is institutionally obsessed with politically correct box-ticking to the extent that it believes nothing else matters.

I would think it's more about creating an environment where people are not afraid to say they are gay. You don't need to go on about it, bit if people feel they have to hode it, it's wrong and should be changed to more open environment.

BBC staff just don't live in the real world. Never have done and never will do.
They just spout what they think .
BBC Breakfast is a perfect example.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I would think it's more about creating an environment where people are not afraid to say they are gay. You don't need to go on about it, bit if people feel they have to hode it, it's wrong and should be changed to more open environment.

Yes. They're aiming for an open and inclusive environment and if 50% of LGBT staff are out to their manager that would be a benchmark of progress. They're not going to force people to come out to their managers, they want to foster an environment where LGBT staff can talk about their personal lives in the office like straight staff do without having to worry.

How will they ever know? If people aren’t out no one knows they’re gay so how can they be counted?

@Busydoingnowt

How will they ever know? If people aren’t out no one knows they’re gay so how can they be counted?

This. How will they know they have reached 50%??

It's up to the individual if they want to be out at work. Some people like to keep their private lives seperate from their work lives, that's their prerogative.

Odd target, how will they measure how many people are LGBT but not out?

I'm bi, but I've never discussed it with my boss - it's completely irrelevant. If I have a female partner at some point, then I guess I'll mention her in general conversation, and I hope that colleagues will be accepting and relaxed about it.

I'm guessing they mean 50% of the people who tick the box on the HR form. Which won't be 50%, of course, because loads of people tick 'prefer not to say' or whatever.

I find it quite weird. I think it would result in people feeling pressure to be 'out'.

@Busydoingnowt

How will they ever know? If people aren’t out no one knows they’re gay so how can they be counted?

The anonymous annual survey I would assume

How will they know if 50% of their LGBT staff are out? If they tick a box saying they identify as LGBT and half of that number tell their bosses?

I note too that their targets for disabled, BAME and LGBT people is vastly over their actual percentage in the population.

For a service which is supposed to reflect back the population and is trying to become less London centric, the BBC is doing a pretty poor job.

It's poor. I wouldn't want to tell my boss I was straight, either. I mean, yes, I'd hope no one needs to try and hide the sex of their spouse or partner, but that's about it.

The anonymous annual survey I would assume

Most people who aren’t out won’t tick the gay box even on an anonymous survey. I can’t imagine there are many people who are out in their personal life and closeted at work these days in an organisation like the BBC.

What about all the other letters? Q, AS, AI, AR +++++?

The more my workplace went alphabet soup, the less likely I’d be to be openly lesbian.

As I understand it, it’s about creating a culture where people feel safe to be ‘out’ and bring their whole selves to work. I think it’s fantastic.

This is insane. None of the employers business what the employees sexual orientation is. Imagine how this would make someone feel if they were yet to come out to anyone!

Do all the virgin geeks have to tell their boss they do not know yet?

It’s about creating an environment where it’s ok to be out at work which is a good thing. Most people will casually mention their partner occasionally at work, imagine not feeling comfortable doing so just because you’re in a gay relationship (obviously people may choose not to mention partners of any gender for various reasons which is their choice)

I don’t know whether my boss knows I’m gay but if I had a partner I would definitely feel comfortable mentioning that they were a woman. But as I’m single it would feel really weird to announce “by the way I like women”. I would if someone asked directly though.

But Elletine I agree everyone should be themselves in work, but why does your choice of sexual partner define you? That’s the bit is fine regressive.

@MadeOfStarStuff see the fact you don’t need to say, but would feel comfortable doing so is perfect. I’m just not sure making a big point of it helps that cause rather than hurts it by making it not the norm, and a BIG THING.

I understand the rationale about people being comfortable bringing their whole self to work but I think the measure is clumsy. I think they could have more sensitively created a target of x% ‘ I feel comfortable talking about my life outside of work’ (this wording could definitely be improved but this is off the top of my head) and cross referenced that with other survey responses to measure how inclusive and supportive the culture is.

The most obvious question is, how will they measure this? Are they relying on people being honest in anonymous staff engagements surveys but not necessarily being 'out' to their colleagues? Or are they assuming based on some demographic that, say, on average 10% of their staff will be LBGT (number plucked out of the air for my example)?

Another point is, you can be 'out' or at least 'not in' without it being obvious. If you don't talk much about your personal life, or perhaps you are bi but in a long term partnership with someone of the opposite sex, how will people know (and why should they need to know) what your sexuality is?

Whether or not you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual should be your own business in the workplace. Whom you choose to tell (or not) should be your own choice.

The only people at work who might need to know confidentially are HR to know who to contact should you be taken ill, and if you die where your pension should go to.

hey boss person, I like shagging other women

Was there really a need to reduce gay people to the above?