LGBT company network groups in the UK: Tackling opportunities and complexities in the workplace

Abstract

The chapter explores the role and activities of a UK-based LGBT company employee equality network group within a global company. As LGBT people are not a ‘unified’ social group it first considers LGB perceptions of the LGBT employee company network and the other equality network groups as possible support and voice mechanisms within the organization. It then considers the perceived opportunities and complexities of cross equality strand working across the organization’s equality network groups and its apprentice and graduate network groups. It does this drawing on Yuval-Davis’s [Beyond differences: Women empowerment and coalition. In N. Charles & H. Hintjens (Eds.), Gender, ethnicity and political ideologies (pp. 168–189). London: Routledge, 1998] notion of ‘transversal’ coalition politics whereby people in different employee company network groups although rooted in their own identity, beliefs and membership may be prepared and/or required to shift to a position of exchange on matters of common concern within the work context. There is evidence for optimism as examples of cross equality strand working were emerging as company network groups worked together to tackle discrimination, offer pastoral care to employees and ensured adequate resources were made available to network groups. However some complexities arose when organizing events and activities. Here, company network groups had to take on board the differing identities, beliefs and priorities of their different company network constituencies. Coalitions between company network groups shifted with alliances being made more easily between some than others. The chapter explores these complexities focusing on ‘Diversity Days’ and the proposal by the LGBT company network to run an event on Faith and Homophobia.