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12. VISIBLE SUPPORT FOR LGBTQ+ INCLUSION
There were a range of perspectives about businesses and workplaces and the extent that LGBTQ+ issues should be given prominence. Some participants were concerned that rainbow flags or posters might be provocative and counter-productive; however, when questioned further most participants said visible support for LGBTQ+ inclusion would contribute to positive changes in workplace cultures.
A number of participants said that seeing rainbow stickers, lanyards, laces and flags were an important source of comfort that signalled an inclusive workplace. In one case, a participant said these gestures went beyond being symbolic and gave them confidence that a business was inclusive.
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I briefly worked at [a Government department in Queensland] and they were quite vocal about LGBT people. They had lanyards for allies, which was great. So, that was actually a great initiative, to walk in there and see a lot of people with a rainbow lanyard to very visually say, “I support you, we don’t even need to have this discussion” .
Gay, male, 30s
Some participants mentioned the significant effort that sometimes went into convincing their employer to agree to what they saw as small gestures, but which were perceived as having important impact:
We have a TV upon entrance and it’s just got our [company] logo on it, sometimes it has a slideshow. I convinced them to put a rainbow flag on it for Mardi Gras this year. But that was a lot of effort, like, they were going on about trademarks and how you can't change the logo and we were, like, "We're not trying to change the logo. We're just putting a rainbow background and putting the logo on top of it, you know". And that was a big deal. But now that I think I've been here a while they're starting to see that others in the industry are quite supportive and a lot more vocal about it and about that support than - than the company here.
Non-binary 20s.
According to participants, visible signs of support for LGBTQ+ inclusion do not necessarily have to include rainbows, indeed, the absence of rainbows could also make powerful statements.
