NDIA Accountability Project

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Celebrating Diversity | LGBTIQA+ Inclusion

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FOI 21/22-0848 DOCUMENT 1

Celebrating Diversity | LGBTIQA+ Inclusion

This eLearning course empowers learners to take an active role in ensuring our workplace culture is one that allows everyone to bring their whole selves to work. It offers an introduction to gender identity and sexuality, defines and explains common terminology, debunks a number of LGBTIQA+ myths, and explores LGBT IQA+ inclusion in the workplace.

This development opportunity is part of the Agency’s passionate commitment to celebrating diversity and nurturing an inclusive workplace and culture.

Important note:

The subject and terminology in this course may be distressing for some people. If you need to talk to someone about these issues, please reach out to your Manager, the HR Team one of the Agency Peer Support Officers or our Employee Assistance Provider.

SECTION 1: SETTING THE SCENE

  • Before we begin
  • Introduction
  • Learning objectives

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Self Reflection

SECTION 2: LGBTIQA+ AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING

  • Why is LGBTIQA+ inclusivity important?

  • LGBTIQA+ 101

SECTION 3: AGENCY WAYS OF WORKING

  • The Agency’s approach to inclusion

  • Practising inclusivity

SECTION 4: WRAP-UP

  • In summary

  • Close and exit

SCREEN READER FRIENDLY

    1. Introduction
    1. Learning objectives
    1. Self Reflection
    1. Why is LGBTIQA+ inclusivity important?
    1. LGBTIQA+ 101
    1. The Agency’s approach to inclusion
    1. Practising inclusivity

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  1. In summary

QUESTION BANKS

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Before we begin

Accessibility options

Screen reader functionality

Select this option if you use a screen reader for accessibility.

  • SCREEN READER ON

If you don’t use a screen reader, select this option to continue.

  • NO SCREEN READER

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Introduction

First things first

Important information before you begin:

  • 1 You’ll need 30 40 minutes of time with limited distractions to complete this course.
  • 2 The course has been designed as equally engaging for all staff.
  • 3 The videos in this course have sound so you will need headphones.
  • 4 To navigate through the course simply use the previous or next buttons at the bottom of each screen.

Contact and acknowledgement information

Enquiries or suggestions about this learning material are welcome and should be directed to either the Culture and Inclusion team or the Learning & Development team via the People and Culture Service Desk.

People and Culture Service Desk Use this button to contact the People and Culture Service Desk

[CONTACT PEOPLE AN…]

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This learning material was developed by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)

© Commonwealth of Australia 2021.

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Learning objectives

Purpose and focus of this course

Some of these terms below (such as heteronormative) may be new to you, but that’s OK. At the end of the course, you will be able to:

  • define the LGBTIQA+ abbreviation and a variety of other associated terminology
  • reflect on any personally held heteronormative or homophobic prejudices, beliefs and biases
  • distinguish between sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality
  • identify opportunities to enhance your LGBTIQA+ inclusivity practice at work.

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—— EQUALITY —

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Self Reflection

Understanding prejudice and unconscious bias

The ‘Lean In’ activity below will help identify any prejudices or unconscious biases you may not be aware of and give you ideas about things you can do to be supportive of the LGBTIQA+ community.

Heterosexism and

heteronormativity are attitudes, biases, and discrimination in favour of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It is so deeply ingrained in our society we often hardly even notice it.

Heterosexism and heteronormativity

Heterosexism and heteronormativity are attitudes, biases, and discrimination in favour of opposite-sex sexuality and in our society we often hardly even notice it.

Heterosexuality

Heterosexuality is the romantic, intimate or sexual attraction between people of the opposite sex, or gender. People may engage in diverse sexual relationships, reinforcing that sexuality can be seen as a continuum. This is why it may be more useful to talk about our bodies, our genders and our relationships rather than where we sit on the diverse continuum of sexuality.

Heterosexism and

@pheteronormativity are attitudes, biases, and discrimination in favour of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It is so deeply ingrained in our society we often hardly even notice it.

Heteronormativity

A heteronormative view assumes that heterosexuality is the only sexual orientation or normal way of behaving. Heteronormativity is often linked to heterosexism, homophobia and biphobia. While heteronormative language should be avoided, it needs to be understood that many transgender and intersex people are heterosexual.

Introspection

This is a self reflective activity only, there is no need to share the outcomes with anybody. We invite you to lean into any discomfort you may feel.

Place a tick in each box that describes behaviour that you are/have been aware of:

  • Do you laugh at jokes whose humour depends upon stereotypes (usually negative) of LGBTIQA+ people? Do you tell these jokes yourself? If friends make a humorous remark based on a stereotype, do you point that out or do you just laugh?

  • Do you use dehumanising slang such as homos, fags, pansies, dykes, lezzies?

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FOI 21/22-0848

  • When you hear of someone being disadvantaged at work (such as being bullied, teased or overlooked for promotion) because of their sexual orientation, do you stay quiet and avoid any potential conflict?

  • Are you consciously aware of the group you are generalising about? For example, when you say “people,” do you really mean everyone? When you say “women,” do you really mean heterosexual and/or cisgender women? (If these terms are new to you, heterosexual refers to opposite-sex attraction, and cisgender refers to people whose gender identity corresponds with the sex assigned at birth. These and other terms are explored later in this course.)

  • Do you assume that, because someone speaks in support of LGBTIQA+ issues, that the person is homosexual?

  • Do you identify yourself as heterosexual (or let yourself be assumed so) when homosexuality is a topic of discussion or when confronting people about derogatory remarks?

  • Do you assume the person you are speaking to is heterosexual? For example, do you say, “Do you have a girlfriend?” or “Do you have a boyfriend” rather than, “Do you have a spouse or partner?”

  • Do you respect the need for confidentiality/privacy of persons you know who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community?

  • When speaking to others about sexuality, do you present homosexuality and heterosexuality as equally valid orientations? Do you press others to do the same?

Video

The video below, from Vodafone, explores the prejudices that LGBTIQA+ people might face in the workplace.

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Sorry (not sorry) if that stung a little

Closed captioning:

The video has closed captioning.

Introspection is all about self examination for growth. It involves analysing yourself, looking at your own personality and actions, and considering your own motivations.

The number of affirmative or negative responses you had in this activity is somewhat irrelevant. The action you choose to take and the changes you choose to make is what matters most.

We invite you to engage fully with the information in this course and hope that it serves as a positive catalyst for change for a truly inclusive workplace.

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Why is LGBTIQA+ inclusivity important?

For equity and freedom from discrimination

We know that people in the LGBTIQA+ community continue to face discrimination in many areas of life, despite decades of equal opportunity laws.

The image below explores a number of key issues faced by the LGBTIQA+ communities. Click on the hearts to reveal more information.

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Key Issue

« A large number of LGBTIQA+ people hide their sexuality or gender identity when accessing services (34 per cent), at social and community events (42 per cent) and at work (39 per cent).

  • Young people aged 16 to 24 years are most likely to hide their sexuality or gender identity.

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Key Issue

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are three times more likely to experience depression compared to the broader population.

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