Insights
Jun 20, 2025
Why Intersectionality Is Key to Real LGBTQ+ Inclusion at Work
Happy Pride! 🌈 As we celebrate International Pride Month, pride flags, glittery cupcakes and rainbow logos are everywhere, it’s clear we’ve come a long way in workplace inclusion, right? But here’s the thing: colourful celebrations, while lovely, can miss the mark if they ignore the deeper layers of our identities that impact how we navigate the world every day.
To genuinely support LGBTQ+ employees, we need more than a one-size-fits-all approach. We need intersectionality. But what does intersectionality really mean, and why should your workplace care?
Let’s Break Down Intersectionality - Without the Jargon!
Back in 1989, Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality, highlighting that people experience discrimination differently depending on how multiple aspects of their identity overlap—things like race, gender, class, disability, faith and sexuality.
Think of intersectionality like standing at a busy crossroads.
- Each road represents a different aspect of your identity - your race, gender, sexuality, disability, migration status, faith and so on. Discrimination or bias can come speeding down any one of these roads. But when multiple roads intersect, a person can face discrimination coming from several directions at once, making it uniquely challenging (and exhausting!) to navigate.
- Just like traffic flows differently depending on where you’re positioned at the intersection, people’s experiences in the workplace differ dramatically depending on the unique ways their identities overlap and interact.
For example:
- A black LGBTQ+ woman in Ireland might face racism, sexism and homophobia at the same time. Her experience won’t neatly align with the experience of a white gay man, a disabled trans person or someone from a migrant background. Intersectionality helps us understand the nuances of these complex realities.
Why Intersectionality Is Essential (Not Just ‘Nice-to-Have’)
1. It Creates Truly Inclusive Spaces
Let’s face it: we’re not all navigating the workplace from the same starting point. Research has shown that LGBTQ+ folks who experience multiple forms of discrimination—like racial bias or ableism—are at significantly higher risk for mental health issues. Intersectionality helps us acknowledge these layers and provide meaningful support to our LGBTQ+ colleagues and team members.
2. It Boosts Employee Happiness and Retention
People stick around when they feel seen and valued as their full selves. Intersectional inclusion sends a clear message: We see all of you, and we value every part.
3. It Sparks Real Innovation
Diverse perspectives fuel innovation. Teams that truly embrace intersectionality gain insights and ideas from all angles—not just a limited viewpoint. That’s the secret sauce for thriving teams.
Practical Steps to Put Intersectionality into Action
Here’s the good news: adopting intersectionality at work is simpler than you think. Let’s get practical:
- Rethink Your Policies
Update your anti-discrimination, hiring and HR policies to explicitly reflect intersectional identities. Name it, claim it and make it real.
- Diversify Decision Makers
Ensure your leadership includes diverse voices from different intersections. Representation matters, not just in entry-level roles, but right at the top.
- Level Up Your DEI Training
Move beyond generic LGBTQ+ inclusion training. Offer specific modules on intersectionality and what it looks like in real life.
- Encourage Intersectional ERGs (Employee Resource Groups)
Why not encourage groups like ‘LGBTQ+ people of colour’ or ‘Queer folks with disabilities’? Intersectional ERGs allow people to share experiences, build solidarity and bring their full selves to work.
Real-Life Scenario: Meet Zara
Imagine Zara, a queer woman of South Asian descent in Dublin. At Pride Month, Zara notices her company’s activities rarely reflect her lived reality, no mention of intersectional experiences, no recognition of different struggles, just a focus on broad LGBTQ+ themes. As a result, Zara feels excluded rather than celebrated.
What could Zara’s workplace do better?
- Start conversations that reflect intersectionality.
- Highlight diverse LGBTQ+ voices year-round, not just during Pride Month.
- Engage with intersectional guest speakers or panels that offer nuanced insights.
Ready to Get Real About Inclusion?
Meaningful LGBTQ+ inclusion is about moving past rainbows and into the deeper layers of human experience. It’s not about getting it perfect immediately; it’s about listening, learning and always evolving.
If you’re serious about genuinely supporting your people in all their beautiful complexity, intersectionality needs to be at the heart of your DEI strategy.
Ready to embed cultural diversity and intercultural competence into your organisation’s DNA? Join the waitlist now for GORM’s upcoming Unified Business Programme—a structured journey towards lasting inclusion and stronger teams ✨
Aniruddha Methi (she/they) is an Erasmus Mundus scholar and trainee Social-Cultural Psychologist. She is committed to advancing systemic equity, inclusion, belonging and social justice for oppressed communities, actively incorporating an intersectional lens. Aniruddha brings over 2 years of dynamic experience across India, Canada, Ireland, and Portugal in results-driven project management, onsite and remote coordination of multicultural teams, and administration for national NGOs and psychology laboratories. Fluent in English and Hindi, she is robustly equipped to engage with diverse stakeholders and cultivate impactful DEI and intercultural competence initiatives in organisations.
