Look around your workplace. Can you really say that there are positive and visible LGBTQ+ role models that are present and accessible?
If the answer isn’t immediately yes, then studies have shown that your LGBTQ+ identifying colleagues 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, over 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 whilst at work.
Being in proximity to positive LGBTQ+ identifying 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 key focus of this is to better reach out and support the next generation of LGBTQ+ professionals who are beginning their careers in real estate – something that many of you reading this I’m sure 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 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, whilst 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 do not. 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 have 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 that 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 stretching across the group, we have 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 by highlighting the breadth of individuals involved, that it can aid in supporting better visibility overall. A big focus currently is on intersectionality because we recognise that individuals will be more inclined to approach those of which 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 (ULaw). 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+ signatures – shows just how easy it is for legality to potentially impact marginalised communities. This serves as a reminder why as role models, we need to come together as a collective to better improve visibility in the face of adversity.
By Mark Capanda, senior associate director, lease advisory at BNP Paribas Real Estate and BNP Paribas Pride UK treasurer. This article featured in the special edition of EG which launches its latest LGBTQ+ Attitudes & Actions in Real Estate survey. You can read Mark’s op-ed here.
