A lesbian CEO's perspective: "Minorities are not taken into account very well in the early stages of an employment relationship"

Pride Month 2024 starts on Saturday, June 1. As a lesbian worker at SwanIT, I feel that companies should have a place for internal training and discussion so that equality can truly be achieved in the future.

I made the choice a long time ago to openly talk about my sexual orientation and family arrangements in working life, completely without shame. It has not always been easy, because my credibility as the CEO of an IT company has often been questioned. In addition, I have experienced belittling in many different encounters.

It is great to see company logos filled with rainbows during Pride Month and brave statements on behalf of minorities. True values are still measured in the everyday life of work communities. The unfortunate fact, however, is that not all people are still ready to accept themselves exactly as they are.

This happens consciously but usually purely unconsciously. A collective change in traditional thinking patterns could be a huge step towards increasing equality.

Where are the openly gay people in the workplace?

Getting to know new colleagues often starts by asking about their family. The starting point/assumption is almost always the traditional family model, i.e., a man and a woman and possibly children. Those asking certainly do not often have belittling intentions, but rather an inability to step into the shoes of a minority representative.

However, this causes anxiety if the new employee happens to be a minority representative. Those who are planning to come out of the closet may end up going back into the closet again in working life. This has also been studied, and the unfortunate fact is that things have still not changed.

In other words, work environments do not take minorities very well into account, at least in the early stages of the employment relationship.

If you are wondering if this could be true, we can, for example, consider where openly gay people are, especially in the IT sector or in other, more male-dominated sectors. Yes. It shows that we still have a lot to do in Finnish working life.

Training and discussion in the work community

As a lesbian worker and primarily as a person, I have done everything I can to ensure that it is safe for everyone in our company, SwanIT, to be, work, and grow professionally just as they are. It has sometimes led to difficult conversations and tough choices, but the result of this has been a culture where everyone knows what we are all about, even during the recruitment phase.

In the spirit of Pride Month, I would like to see training and discussion in work communities. Not so much for new employees, but for those already working.

How do you create a place where it is comfortable to come, even if an employee does not fit into the traditional family or living model? How do you approach a gay or even trans person? What about a person whose gender you are not sure about?

Just like anyone else. You can talk about the weather, hobbies, or the weekend. If you feel the urge to ask someone about their sexual orientation, ask yourself instead:

Why on earth should I know?

Pride 2024: Themes of peace and hope

Peace is the right of all societies and individuals. We need hope, especially when peace is not a given. Hope inspires faith in the future and, above all, gives us the strength to strive for our rights and a more just world.

The importance of human rights is highlighted at a time when uncertainty and conflicts are testing everyone, but especially people who are already in a vulnerable position. Hope is in the community, in other people. Peace and hope are born through actions, with pride and togetherness. (Source: Helsinki Pride)

Pride Month culminates on Saturday, June 29, with the Helsinki Pride parade and park celebration. It is a joyful and colorful demonstration of equality and diversity. Everyone has the right to be exactly who they are in the parade. Let's make sure that everyone is also safe outside the parade every day.