Homophobia in the Workplace: Impact, Obstacles, and Interventions

This roundtable offered a springboard for discussion on homophobia in the workplace in four major areas: education, industry, mental health, and public service. In the discussion on education, gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) college students explored ingrained attitudes and beliefs that impact their college life. Other issues explored in academia were job safety, curricula, coming out, and the impact of institutional homophobia. Homophobia in the corporate world considered strategies to help GLBs throughout their careers. Gay professional athletes explored the obstacles in professional sports for gay men to come out, the employment obstacles for gay men (such as coaching jobs), and their thoughts about being constrained to the closet. Homophobia in the helping professions examined the prejudicial attitudes of mental health professionals regarding GLBs and the impact on service delivery. It also addressed the issues GLB ethnic minority therapists face including training and supervision needs, countertransference, and boundary concerns. In the public service field, a discussion was held on the effects that police force homophobia can have on both the force and the public. Sexual minorities discussed their experiences working for religious organizations and the strategies for coping with discrimination. (Lists 22 web sites and 103 references.) (JDM)