COMMENT Look around your workplace. Can you really say there are positive and visible LGBTQ+ role models who are present and accessible? If the answer isn’t immediately yes, then studies have shown that your colleagues who identify as LGBTQ+ might not feel comfortable enough to bring more of their authentic selves to work without fear of prejudice or bias, be that unconscious or otherwise.
According to Stonewall, one in five LGBTQ+ people have been the target of negative comments at work, more than a third of LGTBQ+ people feel they need to hide who they are at work, and one in five feel that being LGBTQ+ limits their job opportunities.
It is important to recognise that LGBTQ+ visibility and representation in real estate has come on leaps and bounds. However, we still have a long way to go if we are to completely remove the barriers for individuals who would prefer to be out but remain closeted while at work.
Being in proximity to positive LGBTQ+ role models is a fundamental component to combat some of the stigmas which still exist in the workplace.
Role-modelling
In an industry nod towards the importance of role modelling, it was recently announced that Freehold, the leading networking forum for LGBTQ+ real estate professionals, appointed Warren Stapley and Anyi Hobson as board directors and Sarah Chapman and Eric Chou as new next-gen board members as part of an overall board expansion. The point of this is to better reach out and support the next generation of LGBTQ+ professionals who are beginning their careers in real estate – something I’m sure many of you reading this wish was available to us early in our careers.
Research attests to role-modelling too. Social learning theory, introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura, proposed that learning occurs through observation, imitation and modelling, and is influenced by factors such as attention, motivation, attitudes and emotions. Bandura highlighted that the environment plays a large part in learning. We model the behaviour of the people around us, especially if we find these models similar to ourselves. Actions that are seen to be rewarded are more likely to be imitated, while those that are punished are avoided.
This presents its opportunities but also challenges. There is a lack of consistency in real estate. Some sectors and disciplines have increased exposure to diverse role models, while many haven’t. It’s quite common for junior team members to find themselves without an adequate LGBTQ+ role model, who may be learning from senior leaders who themselves are yet to fully understand the importance of ED&I.
The likes of unconscious bias training can help here but it will take time for attitudes to shift.
Improving visibility
It’s also important to recognise there is a level of vulnerability and bias you expose yourself to as a role model – you need a thick skin, which presents its own obstacles as it can deter individuals from taking those duties on.
At BNP Paribas Pride UK, our LGBTQ+ network has implemented a sponsors programme which provides access to senior leaders or allies who are committed to involving themselves with our LGBTQ+ initiatives. Our aim is that by highlighting the breadth of individuals involved, it can aid in supporting better visibility overall.
At the moment we are focusing on intersectionality because we recognise that individuals will be more inclined to approach those who they recognise similarities with.
We are navigating a period where the pressure of external limiting forces can be felt. Laws protecting members of the LGBTQ+ community are at risk of being set back decades, according to the University of Law.
The campaign to ban LGBTQ+ education in schools by petitioning to bring back Section 28 – which at the time of writing this is at 216,000-plus signatures – shows just how easy it is for legality to potentially affect marginalised communities. This serves as a reminder why we as role models need to come together as a collective to better improve visibility in the face of adversity.
Mark Capanda is senior associate director, lease advisory at BNP Paribas Real Estate and BNP Paribas Pride UK treasurer
