Addressing inequitable LGBTQ biases and stereotypes

- Being an LGBTQ professional or having LGBTQ people on staff has no negative impact on workplace productivity whatsoever. But you know what does, negative bias or prejudice against LGBTQ individuals. If an employee is harboring adverse feelings towards a colleague because of their LGBTQ identity, they may find it difficult to collaborate or stay focused on the job at hand. You can't work most effectively alongside someone you simply don't have respect for. This is why establishing a base level of respect across personnel, regardless of our differences, is so vital to a healthy workflow. But I want to make something very clear. A person's sexual orientation or gender identity is not a workplace liability or some sort of excuse for others to justify mistreating them. The real onus lies with individuals who are dealing with societally imprinted phobias, or people who have ingested so much misinformation over time that they can't help but cast unfair judgments or adopt discriminatory…