Registration is now open for the LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion Symposium on September 5th at Leiden University. I look forward to seeing you there!
5 SEPTEMBER 2024
LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion Symposium
Unlock the power of inclusivity at this year’s LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion Symposium, featuring keynote presentations by dr. Erin Cech (University of Michigan, USA) and me delving into the latest cutting-edge research on LGBTIQ+ inclusion.
Location: Telders Auditorium
Address: Rapenburg 73, Leiden
Date: September 5th, 2024
Registration: 10:00 - 10:30
Symposium: 10:30 - 12:00
Coffee & Tea: 12:00 - 13:00
In addition to the keynotes, a panel including researchers and D&I professionals from the public and private sector will reflect on the research findings and recommendations, and share concrete examples of how organizations can build inclusive environments. Connect with fellow attendees over coffee and tea, fostering meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals committed to driving positive change in their respective organizations. Join us in this critical dialogue to make a difference and foster a workplace where everyone can belong and bring their authentic selves.
View the full program here.
Registration
The event is in-person but will be streamed and recorded for those not able to attend. Please register here.
Organisers
This event is organised by me in collaboration with Academia@WorkplacePride. We can be contacted at lgbtqi.inclusion@gmail.com
Accessibility
We would like the symposium to be accessible to everyone. We hope the absence of a participation fee and the possibility to view a live stream contribute to this. Please note that the symposium location is wheelchair accessible. We will make sure to ask the speakers to articulate clearly. We very much welcome your suggestions for how we can be more inclusive.
General LGBTQI+-policy is not enough
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of presenting the conclusions and recommendations from our recent study on bi+ individuals in the workplace at the D&I network event hosted by Bi+ Netherlands. The event was filled with such positive energy! I gained invaluable insights from the other speakers, the panel discussions, and the networking conversations. A highlight of the event was the captivating mini photo exhibition depicting the work lives of bi+ people. This traveling exhibition is available for booking at your workplace, and I highly recommend it.
The exploration and handout can be found on the Bi+ Netherlands website.
Photo’s by Lera Manzovitova
Summit grant for our research consortium proposal “Social Cohesion: Towards a New Fabric of Society”
Still stunned but incredibly grateful that our research consortium proposal “Social Cohesion: Towards a New Fabric of Society” has been awarded a Summit grant by the Dutch Research Council.
Covering a ten-year period, this unique award in the amount of 30 million euro’s, allows our research consortium to make real scientific impact on a topic that is so clearly relevant to our societies and citizens whose stability and well-being is increasingly threatened by fragmenting communities and polarizing groups.
SOCION is an interdisciplinary project connecting researchers from psychology, history, philosophy, demography, and sociology to better understand how shared values, group processes, and social provisions can connect individuals, groups, and institutions. We focus on complex and multiple connections within society, exploring how to strengthen ties between certain individuals, groups, or institutions without weakening or breaking these ties elsewhere.
Importantly, we will be closely collaborating with societal stakeholders in the design and execution of this research by utilizing existing and new knowledge alliances.
This afternoon at the award ceremony, we celebrated this incredible achievement. Tomorrow, we will get to work!
Read more here and here
Making impact on D&I
To make an impact on diversity and inclusion, D&I-policies should be more deeply anchored into the core activities of the organization and should be translated to the different organizational levels and what is expected of people there. This demands a deeper understanding of how policy affects the workplace and employees and requires a procedural approach. In our new handout “Making an impact on diversity and inclusion”, we present our collective vision on making impact on D&I to support organizations with the effective implementation of their policy.
Read more here.
You can download the handout here.
The handout and insights are a result of the project “Het moet wel werken. Inclusie op de arbeidsmarkt door synergie tussen wetenschap en praktijk", a collaboration between Utrecht University, SER Diversiteit in Bedrijf and InclusieNL, made possible by the Goldschmeding Foundation.
Design by Leanna McAlpine.
Bi+ inclusion at work: English translations available now!
Recently my team at Leiden University and researchers at Bi+ Nederland mapped out the experiences of bi+ people at work and provided insight into promising approaches to increasing bi+ inclusion at work. The exploration was carried out through an extensive literature study and interviews with bi+ people and experts.
Conclusions and recommendations were summarized in a report and practical guide for employers. These are now also available in English here.
LGBTIQ+ inclusion at work: D&I networking event
Do you want to improve lgbtiq+-inclusion in your workplace? Visit the D&I networking event on May 30, organized by Bi+ Nederland in collaboration with Netwerk Regenboog FNV. I will be presenting our recent research on bi+ inclusion at work and Lis Dekkers will explain the ways to create a transgender-inclusive workplace.
Event on "Creating impact with D&I policy"
Would you like to know how to make impact with your diversity and inclusion policy? Attend our conference on May 22nd in Amsterdam! Sign up here!
Every employer wants to make impact with their diversity and inclusion policy. In practice, this turns out to be easier said than done, because ‘impact’ is a vague concept. What is meant by ‘impact’? On which levels of policy and organization can we identify this? And how do we take the right steps?
These questions are key during the event ‘Impact maken met D&I-beleid’ (Making impact with D&I policy) on Wednesday May 22nd from 13:30 until 17:00 at the Nationale Postcode Loterij in Amsterdam. We look forward to meeting you there!
During the afternoon, we share insights on making impact from the research project ‘Het moet wel werken’, a collaboration between Utrecht University, InclusieNL and SER Diversiteit in Bedrijf, which is made possible by the Goldschmeding Foundation. Furthermore, the Nationale Postcode Loterij will give a look behind the scenes of their own policy and we will discuss together.
Are you interested? Sign up now!
Masterclass "Kijken met een andere bril naar D&I-beleid"
Yet another cohort of D&I champions has received the coveted certificate for completing the three-part masterclass “Kijken met een andere bril naar D&I-beleid” (Looking at D&I policy through a different lens) at Utrecht University.
Their organizations’ D&I policies are in capable hands!
Together with lecturers Melissa Vink, Onur Şahin, Milynn Koene and guest lecturers Yonn Bokern and Youssef Chrigui, I have enjoyed their eagerness to learn and very interesting practical cases.
Thank you for your great efforts, Rumeysa Unal, John Verpoort, Marianne Kooistra-Jonker, Andhika Rutten, Rogier Kock en Veerle Huyers.
Keynote at NVP Jaarcongres
On March 21st, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination , I gave a keynote on facilitating diversity and inclusion in organizations for the Network of HR-Professionals (NVP).
With approximately 135 HR professionals and HR students in the audience, and thanks to the great interactive discussions and inspiring contributions of my fellow speakers and panelists it was a very successful event.
A recap of the day can be viewed here
Bi+ inclusion at work: Insights and recommendations
In collaboration with Bi+ Nederland, my research team at Leiden University and I conducted an exploration shedding light on the experiences of bi+ individuals in the workplace, a group often overlooked within the LGBTQI+ community. Despite comprising the largest segment under the LGBTQI+ umbrella, bi+ individuals face significant challenges at work, with limited understanding of their experiences and effective inclusion strategies.
Drawing on a literature study and interviews with bi+ individuals and experts, the exploration reveals the complexities that bi+ individuals encounter in being open about their orientation, often due to fear of backlash, lack of support, or misconceptions. Micro-aggressions, stemming from a monosexual norm prevalent in many workplaces, compound these challenges, leading to feelings of invisibility and discomfort. Moreover, heteroprofessionalism further marginalizes bi+ individuals, rendering their identities less valued or even dismissed in professional settings. To foster inclusivity, organizations should prioritize acknowledging, promoting visibility, and ensuring representation of bi+ individuals in the workplace, akin to existing efforts for gay and lesbian employees (although these may also be further improved).
Curious about our research insights? Read the exploration here (in Dutch)
Ready to take action in your organization? Use our helpful guide for employers here (in Dutch)
English translations
of our conclusions and recommendations will follow soon, so stay tuned!
Much thanks to our interviewees and sounding board members for providing the invaluable input, to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science for the support, and to my partners at Bi+ Nederland and Leiden University, Iris Buizer, Daphne Hermsen, Jantine van Lisdonk, and Barbara Oud, for the smooth collaboration.
