The future is a rainbow.
Research fromGallup found that more than one in five Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+—more than double the share of millennials, and quadruple the share of Gen Xers.
In my work as CEO ofOut & Equal, an organization dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ workplace equity, inclusion, and belonging, I've met many corporate leaders asking what they can do to attract this new generation of Queer talent. And I share one piece of advice that tends to surprise them.
Don't forget about bisexual and pansexual folks.
When we talk about the growth of the LGBTQ+ community, we often talk about the growth of the bi+ community.Two-thirds of queer Gen Zers identify as bisexual. It's also the most common identity among Queer millennials.
Yet while bisexuality is common, bi+ folks don't always feel like they belong, with some calling it a"double closet." Bisexual and pansexual people may experience the same discrimination as lesbian and gay folks, from outright harassment at work to exclusion from workplace benefits. But they may also fear rejection within the Queer community.
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I've experienced that biphobia myself. When I was just starting out in my career, I began dating women for the first time. Many of my coworkers assumed I was a lesbian, and I didn't correct them. I was afraid they wouldn't get it; on some level, it felt easier to stick with a label that others seemed to understand, even if it wasn't authentically me.
I eventually came out as bisexual—and, later, also as pansexual—and got to experience the joy of sharing my whole identity and feeling authentically seen. Even so, I've fielded my fair share of ignorant, or just plain hurtful, comments over the years—implying that my queerness was "just a phase" or I was "really" a lesbian all along.
So perhaps it's not surprising that many bi+ people choose not to share their entire identities at work, just as I once did.
Astudy by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law found that only a third of bisexual employees were out to their supervisors, compared to nearly three-quarters of gay men and lesbians surveyed, with one in five saying they were out to all their coworkers. What's more, bisexual people were more likely to change their appearance at work to hide their true identity.
Concealing who you really are comes at a cost. Many queer people know the pain of choosing not to put the family photo on your desk or opting notto bring your partner to a work event because you're afraid it will harm your career.
Though it's not just employees; employers also pay the price when queer folks—and, particularly, bi+ folks—feel excluded. Creating a sense of belonging isn't a nice-to-have; it's a business imperative. Improving retention of LGBTQ+ employees by just five percent could save nearly $4.2 million annually in turnover costs alone, according to research fromEY.
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The Queer community is not a monolith. As Gen Z enters the workforce, companies serious about winning the war for talent will need to consider theunique needs of the "B" in LGBTQ+. Internally, that could mean ensuring bi+ representation in employee resource groups and creating resources and programming that reflect bi+ identities. HR professionals should make sure that benefits and internal policies are inclusive of these folks and avoid assuming that someone is straight just because their partner is the opposite gender.
Companies should also carefully consider the message they're sending externally, whether by publicly celebrating BisexualVisibility Day in September and Pansexual Visibility Day in May or ensuring that bi+ identities are represented in the advertisements they create. Current and potential bi+ employees will take note, which will also send a powerful message of inclusion to the growing market of Gen Z consumers.
I feel hopeful when I look at the young people coming up today. They will chart a way forward for the bi+ community, leading to much-needed workplace change. I'm optimistic they will find a true sense of belonging at work that I only could have dreamed of as a twenty-something too afraid to share my whole, authentic self.
It's what they deserve. It's what all LGBTQ+ people deserve.
Erin Uritus (she/her) is the CEO of Out & Equal, the premier nonprofit working to advance LGBTQ+ representation, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.
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