LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training: Strengthening Your Workforce

by Kate Lindop | Feb 3, 2025 | Corporate Governance

LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training is increasingly becoming an essential ingredient in creating an inclusive workplace environment. February marks LGBTQIA+ History Month, a significant event dedicated to celebrating the history and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, and queer individuals. It also highlights the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ rights and the associated civil rights movements. The month-long observance aims to raise awareness, combat prejudice, and support the contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Supporting LGBTQIA+ Awareness events is an important first step, but employers must go beyond these celebrations. Incorporating LGBTQIA+ inclusivity into their long-term diversity and inclusion strategies is essential for creating a truly supportive workplace that champions LGBTQIA+ rights year-round.

LGBTQIA+ Workplace statistics – Inequality for Workers

LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive umbrella term that is often used to refer to the community as a whole. The UK census showed that over 1.5 million people identify as LGBTQIA+ in England and Wales and a 2023 survey by global leader in market research Ipsos of over 22,000 people across 30 countries indicated that the LGBTQIA+ population now averages 9%.

Whilst some progress towards an inclusive society is being made, a significant number of LGBTQIA+ people still face discrimination, exclusion and barriers at work. The Rainbow Britain report by Stonewall has found that:

• More than 1 in 3 LGBTQIA+ workers have hidden or disguised their sexuality for fear of discrimination.
• 40% of trans people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity
• Two thirds of LGBTQIA+ people had experienced violence or abuse
• Nearly 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ people said they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity while trying to get a job

The Equality Act (2010) legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. This means that everyone, of any sexual orientation is protected from discrimination. Despite this, 1 in 8 lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and 1 in 5 transgender people say they wouldn’t feel comfortable reporting homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying to their employer.

As an employer, what can you do to support LGBTQIA+ and promote inclusivity and diversity in the workplace?

The first step you can take towards promoting inclusivity in the workplace is to recognise where your organisation is currently and where you want to be. Many employers understand the law and legislation around LGBTQIA+ rights and recognise that The Equality Act (2010) states that “nobody can be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation”. And while the act is a starting point in highlighting unlawful behaviour, it stops short of breaking down all the barriers to equality in the workplace.

Knowing and understanding the law is not enough, employers need to:

• invest in their people
• engage with allyship programmes
• create support programmes
• use strong inclusive language in communications
• create LGBTQIA+ networks
• ensure benefits are LGBTQIA+ inclusive
• establish senior/board support
• celebrate your successes
• train your staff

The Benefits of an LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Workplace Environment

Creating an LGBTQIA+ inclusive workplace is key to ensuring that all employees feel valued, comfortable, and empowered to thrive in their roles. By fostering an environment where stigma is reduced and everyone is supported, businesses can unlock a range of benefits. Research consistently highlights the positive impact of inclusivity, which includes:

• Increased productivity and job satisfaction among employees
• Enhanced creativity and innovation within teams
• Higher employee engagement and loyalty
• Reduced employee turnover and retention of top talent
• A stronger company reputation that attracts diverse talent
• Greater cultural insights and a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives
• Increased profitability through improved team performance
• The opportunity to enhance customer service and attract new clients from diverse audiences.

Fostering an LGBTQIA+ inclusive environment not only supports the wellbeing of your team but also drives the overall success of your organisation.

LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training – Online Courses

Organisations that offer LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training in the workplace alongside other Equality, Diversity and Inclusion courses immediately demonstrate their commitment to building an open and accepting workplace. Supporting and promoting allyship helps all your employees feel supported and included.

Becoming an ally is an ongoing process that requires continuous learning, active listening, and a commitment to support the LGBTQIA+ community. But remember, even small actions can make a significant different in creating a more inclusive and accepting world for all individuals

Making sure that all your staff have access to the relevant information needed to create a fully inclusive workplace helps you create an environment that is free from prejudice. It’s important to remember, that while culture change and demonstrating inclusivity needs to start at the top of the organisation, all employees need to be involved and informed, so awareness training is for everyone.

Our industry leading courses give you an understanding of some of the issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community in the UK today and explain how to support diversity to create a positive and inclusive environment.

Our catalogue includes courses such as intersex awareness, lesbian and gay awareness, trans and non-binary awareness, bi+ awareness, and asexual and aromantic awareness. These courses explain the lived experiences of individuals in these communities, support advocacy, explain the history of different sexualities and promote and support allyship.

Additionally, our original LGBTQIA+ Awareness Training explores key LGBTQIA+ terminology, LGBTQIA+ history, rights, and law and focuses on the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly at work.

Through all the courses, you’ll learn about sexual orientation and gender identity, and the impact of discrimination and prejudice at work. All our training helps support and promote workplace inclusion and explains how to play your part in becoming an ally to the LGBTQIA+ people around you.

Learning about the challenges faces by the LGBTQIA+ community increases empathy and understanding and can help eradicate discrimination. Raising awareness of what it means to show support and become an ally is a really important step towards inclusivity.

An LGBTQIA+ ally is someone who supports and advocates for the rights, equality and wellbeing of individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community. They may not personally identify as LGBTQIA+ but stand in solidarity with the community, actively working to promote inclusivity, acceptance and understanding. Awareness training helps you to learn about allyship, amongst many other things.

If you’d like to know more about changing workplace culture, promoting inclusivity and implementing any of our LGBTQIA+ Awareness online training then please get in touch. We’re contactable via our website or in person on 01332 208500 and are always happy to share our own experiences of an evolving workplace culture.

Perhaps you need support with implementing your existing policies and procedures into a training or induction course, or want help updating your existing training – a number of the companies we work with have also implemented bespoke training packages and we’re more than happy to talk to you about these too.