Inclusion is good for productivity because employees feel confident in themselves and they can do their best at work. Feeling less valuable than a heterosexual employee can erode confidence in LGBTQ+ employees. [People might feel] threatened, or have just a sheer values-driven dislike that [being LGBTQ+] is not right, or it’s not normal, that you’re somehow lesser of a person. And that the worst is, you know, that your opinion doesn’t count. I think in a workplace, you're being employed to contribute. So, when you’re trying to do your very best work, but it doesn’t really matter, because no matter how good that work is, it will never be as good as a heterosexual’s, that does erode your confidence, and erodes your perspective of who you are. Gay, male, 40s
15. WORKPLACE CHANGE: IS THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION? In Barnard et al’s (2020) UK study, some gay male construction workers felt that more progress towards LGBT diversity and inclusion had been made in the industry compared to other traditionally male dominated work sectors including the armed forces or police. While it is difficult to make a comparison, as well as taking into consideration the diversity of the construction sector, one participant’s experience was that the defence force in Australia was more advanced than construction as he outlines below: I think the maturity curve of the defence force now is far greater than when I was back then right? I mean talk to some of the guys and girls that come out of that space now. It's a completely different experience. They hear my story and they go ‘Wow’. I guess they feel sorry that I had to experience that. They say, ‘Now we just wrap around the individual and support them as a team member and it is a non-issue.” [Some people asked] ‘Why didn't you promote the wear it with purple day through the Defence alumni?’ And actually it's ‘cause I had a fear factor that those guys coming out of that space - guys and girls - would have this kind of old traditional military view which I had. They actually said ‘No, we don't.’ You know, they've been in the defence force or come out of it when it matured really well, and it was refreshing. Gay, male, 50s
50
