Fewer than a third of Brits (28%) say their workplace adequately supports the LGBTQ+ community, according to the latest research from Greene King.
The survey of 2,000 Brits was commissioned by the pub company and brewer to explore the different ways both employees and customers can support the LGBTQ+ community.
While data shows support for the LGBTQ+ community is strong across the UK, with 42% saying they consider themselves an ‘ally’ to the community – it’s clear from the results that more action is needed from employers.
When it comes to workplace policy, use of pronouns (30%), came top of the list of ways employees can support the community. At Greene King, team members are encouraged to share their pronouns on their email addresses and signatures as well as their Teams profile, to demonstrate allyship for fellow team members from the LGBTQ+ community and as a way to show respect for the gender identity of all its team members by helping to remove assumptions around a person’s gender.
When it comes to other ways to support the LGBTQ+ community, having a dedicated gender identity policy (25%), having gender neutral bathrooms (23%), having an LGBTQ+ employee group (20%) and donating to LGBTQ+ charities (20%) were voted as the top ways employers should show support.
While the research shows there is a clear appetite for LGBTQ+ support amongst Brits, there are some areas, such as gender identity, that are still an unknown quantity to many.
When questioned on use of a transgender person’s chosen name, 34% said that while they would use it, they’d struggle to remember it. A further 17% said they’d only use the name if they had to, and 8% said they’d never use it at all.
Opening up a conversation about LGBTQ+ issues is often easiest in a familiar setting, and according to the latest data, the pub was voted as the perfect place to have an open discussion with a friend by 4 in 10 Brits (38%), beating out restaurants (29%) and the workplace (14%).
To help raise awareness of the need for allyship in Pride month and beyond and to show how easy it can be to open up a conversation with a friend or loved one – Greene King partnered up with celebrity quizzer and LGBTQ+ ally Jenny Ryan, to debunk common myths about LGBTQ+ issues.
Jenny Ryan, TV personality said: “Research from Greene King shows that a huge number of people see LGBTQ+ issues debated across social media, where there’s very little scrutiny or fact checking going on. Everyone is absolutely entitled to their own opinion, but it’s important to be informed before you speak out on issues at the heart of the community.
“No one is expecting you to be up to date with every single issue – but if you’re unsure about someone or something – whether that’s in the workplace or at home, there’s absolutely no harm in asking politely. If you need someone to talk to, either about your own experiences or those of a loved one, Switchboard LGBT is the place to go.”
Assad Malic, Greene King’s chief communications and sustainability officer, and board sponsor for The Village Greene said: “It’s clear from our recent study that the humble pub is a fantastic place to open up a conversation about issues experienced by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Therefore, we need to do everything we can to ensure our pubs are a safe and welcoming space for all, regardless of gender or sexual identity.
“We’re proud of the steps we’ve taken, from the creation of The Village Greene to the fundraising work for Switchboard LGBT, but we have more to do. It’s clear that both employers and customers want to see more action when it comes to LGBTQ+ support, and we’re committed to offering this at every level of the business, to ensure pubs remain at the heart of the community for all.”
