Navigating Challenges in LGBTQ+ Inclusion: The Struggle for Equality in Polish Workplaces
摘要
The majority of CEE countries are characterised by the difficult situation of LGBTQ+ people, both institutionally due to the lack of regulations, including the lack of equal rights regarding marriage or child adoption, and politically and culturally. For this reason, it is frequent for non-heteronormative people living in these countries to experience discrimination every day. This chapter describes the situation of LGBTQ+ people in Poland and the efforts to create inclusion in the workplace. We present the results of a study consisting of ten in-depth interviews with non-heteronormative people, in which the respondents described their experiences, needs, and expectations. The results help us to understand how LGBTQ+ employees perceive discrimination, how they define the meaning of inclusion, and what they do to create inclusive workplaces. The study results indicate a strong need for LGBTQ+ people to feel included in their workplaces. However, companies’ actions aimed at inclusion often fail to achieve the intended effect. Despite the hostile institutional and cultural context, there are LGBTQ+ employees who take bottom-up actions to build an inclusive space for themselves and people from their community. Moreover, the chapter includes the solutions the respondents implemented in their organisations. They are introduced as an optimistic outlook on the fact that, despite the adverse political situation in Poland, some companies provide a space where LGBTQ+ people can feel safe and included.