Queer Empowered Workplaces: Spilling the Inclusivity Tea! 🏳️🌈✨
We’re still on a high from our Queer Empowered Workplaces event on 5 June 2024 held in Naarm/Melbourne! The evening was a heartwarming celebration of community, filled with inspiring discussions and powerful stories that uplifted and empowered us all. Thank you to our panellists and attendees for spilling the tea and sharing your experiences 💖.
This event focused on engaging allies and leaders to help us cultivate change. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who attended to learn how they can foster a queer-empowered workplace. By supporting us, you’re helping to build a more inclusive property and construction industry – and for that we THANK YOU!
The tea and hot tips:
Fiona Liddell (she/her), Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Stockland
“Change takes time, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Celebrate the small wins along the way. Small symbolic pieces like lanyards or stickers might not feel big but could have a significant impact on someone.”
Hot Tips: Listen, learn, and seek feedback. Find your people and support each other. Build partnerships with the right people 🏳️🌈🎉
Nicki Hay (she/her), Co-CEO at Core:
“Big or small, it’s about doing whatever you can to create a queer empowered workplace.”
Hot Tips: Be genuine, make it visible, embed it in your culture 💪💕
Clare Acheson (she/they), Queers in Property:
“Effective queer empowerment needs to take into account the organisation’s size, culture, and values to become part of how everyone shows up at work (not just LGBTQIA+ people)”
Hot Tips: Start with the basics, partner with educators, create space for queer joy at work so your change makers don’t burn out 🌈✨
From our fabulous moderator, Gemma Saunders (she/her), Managing Director at Workplace Edit:
“Policies are important, but put effort into your culture. Keep listening, learning, and meeting people where they are.”
Hot Tips: Ensure executive sponsors for pride communicate regularly. Tailor strategies to different groups 🌟🏳️🌈
Thanks to Adam Henson (he/him), Director of Development Facilitation at the Department of Transport and Planning
We also want to thank our amazing sponsors: Core, Workplace Edit, Studio White Noise, and Zesty Events for their unwavering support and belief in empowering queer voices.
Resources:
We hope you left feeling inspired and equipped with new strategies for your workplaces. To help you carry it forward, explore the resources below for further support:
- Trans Hub Resources, Policies & Templates
- Switchboard Victoria, Support
- The Harvard DIB guide for calling in and calling out behaviour
- Queering Safe Spaces – Being Brave Beyond the Binaries
- Some Employee Assistance Program providers have specialist support lines for the LGBT community – try your employers EAP line to start
For more resources, visit our Resources Page.
On the night we also handed out bingo cards with some ideas on encouraging inclusion at work.
DOWNLOAD OUR BINGO CARD
We are proud to announce that a donation has been made to Transgender Victoria from the proceeds of this event. Stay tuned for our next event in Naarm/Melbourne by joining our mailing list.
If you’d like to collaborate on an event or provide feedback, email us at hi@queersinproperty.com.au.
XOXO
QIP
