Working Bi: Preliminary Findings from a Survey on Workplace Experiences of Bisexual People

Abstract

Preliminary analysis of early data from an extensive survey of the experience of bisexual people in the workplace indicates that bisexuality is a separate sexual orientation from monosexuality (either homosexuality or heterosexuality), that workplace nondiscrimination policies are more effective in creating perceived safety for bisexual people if they include gender identity and expression in addition to sexual orientation alone, and that dissatisfaction in the workplace, as well as in life in general, can be correlated with the degree to which a person keeps her or his bisexuality a secret. Researchers propose a Sexual Orientation Infinite Polygon and suggest action steps for bisexual people and allies, such as

1.	Companies and other workplaces establish Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies offering workplace protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity;
2.	Employee work groups—formal and informal—encourage bisexual employees to be openly involved in their activities by: a. Hosting bi-specific events b. Actively incorporating bi-inclusive language in their meetings and publications c. Educating their gay, lesbian and straight members about the realities of who bisexuals are to dispel the myths that block those individuals support of bisexual coworkers
3.	Bisexual people who are closeted might wish to consider coming out as respondents who are out about their bisexuality indicated greater satisfaction with their sex lives!

KEYWORDS:

• bisexual
• bisexuality
• fluid sexuality
• gender identity and expression
• LGBT workplace
• pansexual
• sexual orientation infinite polygon

Acknowledgments

Ms. Green gratefully acknowledges the advice and encouragement she has received from bisexual activists Lani Ka’ahumanu, Robyn Ochs, Amy Andre, Nora Madison, ABilly Jones-Henin, and Adrian Tyler. Additionally, she appreciates her sponsoring organizations and the instrumental individuals within them: Ellyn Ruthstrom the Bisexual Resource Center, Denise Penn and Jonathan Alexander of the American Institute of Bisexuality, and Kevin Jones, Deputy Director of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.

Heidi Bruins Green, MBA, has been mining data for most of her professional career, with twenty-plus years in accounting and eight years performing surveys and needs assessments to design conferences, workshops, and training materials. She has delivered workshops on bisexuality in the workplace at the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit for ten years, and is the driving force behind the newly formed Bisexual Advisory Committee (BiAC) for Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. A finance and HR person by education and experience, Heidi now designs e-learning courses incorporating brain science technology to promote engagement and knowledge retention.

Nicholas Payne, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati teaching Quantitative Analysis. He started teaching once retiring from Procter & Gamble after a 40-year career, the last twenty as a statistician analyzing Employee Satisfaction Surveys. He was the first straight ally on the Leadership Team of GABLE/P&G, Procter & Gamble's employee resource group. He was instrumental in helping the team work with company leadership to add questions relevant to LGBT employees to the annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. He says that in his 40 years at P&G, it was working with GABLE/P&G that helped him feel more complete. Nick is a trained opera singer and a volunteer with several organizations addressing poverty as well as one working with delinquent children.

Jamison Green, PhD, is an internationally-known author, educator, and policy advisor specializing in transgender and transsexual issues. He is experienced in all aspects of LGBT identity and has published articles on bisexuality in academic anthologies. His award-winning book, Becoming a Visible Man (Vanderbilt University Press, 2004) has inspired thousands of readers and is used as a text in many universities. He is president of Jamison Green & Associates, a training and policy consulting firm, and also works as Primary Care Protocols Manager at the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at the University of California, San Francisco. He serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Transgender Law & Policy Institute, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and TransYouth Family Allies; he's also a member of the Transgender Advisory Committee for Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.