Impact of sexual orientation on
career management skills and
career progression
The Office for Public Management
May 2011
Client
Skills Development Scotland
Document title
Impact of sexual orientation on career
management skills and career progression
Date modified
18 May 2011
Status
Final
OPM project number
Author
Rebecca Williams, Kate Allman, Robert Pralat,
Sarah McDonnell.
Quality assurance by
Dr Chih Hoong Sin
Contact details
Main point of contact
Rebecca Williams
Telephone
07960 988761
Email
[email protected]
„The views expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily represent those of Skills Development Scotland.‟
Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 1
1.
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 6
1.1
Aims and objectives ................................................................................................ 6
1.2
Context ................................................................................................................... 7
2.
Research Design and Methodology .......................................................................... 10
3.
Research Findings .................................................................................................... 15
Development of the conceptual framework ..................................................................... 15
3.1
Early career choices ............................................................................................. 18
Personal preferences...................................................................................................... 18
Personal experiences ..................................................................................................... 19
External environment ...................................................................................................... 26
3.2
Career Progression ........................................................................................... 33
Personal preferences...................................................................................................... 33
Personal experiences ..................................................................................................... 37
External environment ...................................................................................................... 45
3.3
4.
Conclusion and Recommendations........................................................................... 53
4.1
5.
Skills Development Scotland products and services ............................................. 48
Recommendations ................................................................................................ 54
Appendices ............................................................................................................... 57
Appendix 1: Documents reviewed in the scoping phase ................................................. 57
Appendix 2: Organisations / Networks used for outreach and recruitment ...................... 63
Appendix 3: Interview guide ............................................................................................ 65
Acknowledgements
OPM would like to thank all those involved in the research for their time and useful insights.
Executive Summary
In October 2010 Skills Development Scotland (SDS) commissioned the Office for
Public Management (OPM) to conduct research into the impact of sexual orientation
on career management skills and career progression for individuals who identify as
lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) in Scotland. OPM interviewed a total of 24 individuals
from LGB communities in Scotland ranging from 19 to 67 years old; and carried out a
review of existing SDS data and published research relevant to sexual orientation
and education, training and employment.
LGB people are estimated to make up around 5% of the population of Scotland,
which is approximately 250,000 people from across all parts of society1. Research
suggests that LGB people in Scotland continue to come across discriminatory
attitudes, and a recent report by Stonewall2 found that: “Low self-esteem, anxiety and
depression are common experiences for many LGB people with “problems
associated with homophobia in early life, such as bullying and low self-esteem, can
continue into adulthood”. Compounding this is the fact that there are very few public
figures that are openly lesbian, gay or bisexual in Scotland. Change is happening
however; interviewees involved in this research aged over 30 years commented on
how they had noticed the difference in social attitudes within their lifetime and the
positive impact they had perceived this to have on younger individuals‟ experiences
in both education and employment.
There are a wide range of factors that influence career decisions in young people,
including their friends, culture, teachers/career adviser, the media, parents and
extended family. For a lesbian, gay or bi-sexual person the findings from this
research also demonstrate a complex web of additional factors around self-identity
and societal stereotypes and perceptions that both consciously and sub-consciously
impact on choices and decisions. Similarly, when progressing in one‟s career once in
employment there are the „common‟ influences on decisions, such as money,
relationships and location, however this research also demonstrates the additional
factors affecting LGB people‟s decisions that are often a result of their sexual
orientation.
Summary of main findings:
Analysis of the evidence from both the primary and secondary research identified
three main factors that are taken into account by individuals when making decisions
about both early career choices and career progression. These are:
A: Personal preferences: such as interests, motivations, and level of ambition
B: Personal experiences: what happens to a person through their life
C: External environment: wider societal and contextual factors
1
Challenging Prejudice: changing attitudes to LGBT people in Scotland
2
Towards a Healthier LGBT Scotland. NHS Inclusion Project, 2003.
1
These factors impact differently depending on where the person is along their „career
pathway‟. This research identified two main phases of the pathway – phase one is
when the individual is making their „early career choices‟, and phase two is later
when they are concentrating on „career progression‟. The following provides an
overview on the impact of the factors at these two distinct phases:
Phase 1: Early career choices
A: Personal preferences

Factors such as personal likes, dislikes and interests are often perceived or
considered to be the main influence on initial choices and decisions for LGB
people.

Although secondary evidence suggests that sexual orientation forms part of an
individuals‟ preferences, few interviewees initially felt that being LGB had a direct
impact on their early career choices. However continued self-reflection throughout
the interviews often made the interviewees more conscious that their sexual
orientation had in fact impacted on their decisions in more indirect ways.
B: Personal experiences:

Experiences at home: Evidence shows experiences at home including the
influence of family, friends and local community can impact on LGB career
choices. In particular, experiences of homophobia or not being able to „come out‟
can impact on self confidence and ultimately affect career decisions.

Experiences at school: Being unable to be „visible at school due to experiences
of homophobic bullying (and fears around this) has been shown to affect some
LGB people‟s career decisions and academic performance. Evidence suggests
that early educational experiences do impact on a person‟s career trajectory.

Experiences in further and higher education: Primary data shows that for
many LGB people experiences at University are comparatively positive to
experiences at school, particularly in terms of the opportunity to meet other LGB
people and to live away from home.
Exposure to LGB culture: Opportunities to become part of wider LGB
communities can have an impact on early career choices by aiding
„self-awareness‟ and enforcing an LGB persons‟ motivations towards
certain causes. However, LGB communities can potentially reinforce
stereotypes about what LGB are „expected‟ to do.

Early experiences of stereotypes: Evidence shows that stereotypes around
sexual orientation can impact on an LGB person‟s early career choices, for
example the assumption that LGB people should choose arts subjects instead of
science subjects. Stereotypes around gender are also likely to have a
compounded effect on LGB people.
C: External environment

Early perceptions of employment sectors: LGB people may feel a “pull”
towards certain sectors perceived to be more „LGB-friendly‟, and to those
2
industries perceived as being more liberal and inclusive. Similarly, some LGB
people may consciously avoid sectors that are perceived to be more likely to have
a homophobic environment.

LGB role models: Positive role models can have an impact on LGB career
choices, giving individuals more confidence to pursue their aspirations.

Experiences of accessing careers services: LGB experiences of accessing
early careers support were often felt not to be very useful: advice was felt to be
too general and not specific to individual needs. Those LGB people with positive
experiences of accessing careers advice reported that flexible and „personalised‟
approaches work well.
Phase 2: Career progression
A: Personal preferences

The main „internal‟ factors influencing an LGB person‟s experiences in their
career are the same as those influencing their early choices. Motivations, level of
ambition, interests and location (where they want to work) all have an impact for
different individuals. Location is particularly affected by sexual orientation; for
LGB people in Scotland there can be negative experiences associated with rural
areas.

As a person progresses through their career these personal preferences are more
affected by their life experiences. Over time, preferences therefore shape, and
respond to, experiences in a cyclical process.
B: Personal experiences

Exposure to sexual orientation stereotypes and homophobia: Stereotypes
can impact on the way in which an LGB person is treated by colleagues, for
example in how they are expected to behave, although sexual orientation
stereotypes may not always have a negative impact.

Double discrimination – gender and sexual orientation: Stereotypes around
gender can impact on LGB people‟s career experiences and progression. This is
particularly for LB women, who may experience „double discrimination‟ in being
both female and non-heterosexual.

Experiences of discrimination: LGB people experience various forms of
discrimination that can impact on their career progression. Where discrimination
has occurred LGB people may be reluctant to make a complaint because of a fear
of the consequences.

Experiences of different sectors: As with early career choices, LGB people
associate more positive employment experiences with the public sector,
compared to the private sector. Sectors experienced positively and felt to be
„LGB-friendly‟ include academia (higher education and research) and the health
sector (NHS), whilst sectors experienced negatively include finance and banking
and education (primary and secondary teaching).
3

Visibility: Decisions about visibility can impact on LGB people‟s experiences at
work and career progression. These decisions are often based on the perceived
„risks‟ associated with being visible, for example the likelihood of experiencing
homophobia, as well as on contextual factors, such as the type of work, length of
time in post and whether there are support mechanisms within the organisation.
Experiences of being both „out‟ and „in‟ can have a negative impact on LGB
career progression.

Longer-term impact of experiences: Early personal experiences for LGB
people can have an ongoing impact on their career pathway, for example low
educational attainment can result in reduced opportunities later on in life.

Level of support: Having support from the management within an employer
organisation is valued by LGB people. Having a good equality and diversity
policy, training and LGBT networks can be important for ensuring that LGB
people are supported in their careers.
C: External factors

Societal attitudes and legislation will have an impact on LGB career
experiences. Generally interviewees reported that there have been significant
improvements in support for LGB people in Scotland over the past 30 years.

Having LGB role models can be a positive influence in terms of career
progression. Similarly, the absence of such role models could make successful
LGB people feel isolated.
In addition to the above, the research showed that awareness of SDS is low and that
people are not often aware of the services and products on offer. Addressing this and
ensuring that the LGB population in Scotland understands the support that SDS can
provide in relation to career choices should be a priority.
Conclusion and recommendations
This research shows that, in the majority of cases, sexual orientation does have an
impact on the decision making process for a lesbian, gay or bi-sexual person
progressing along their career pathway. However this impact varies considerably
depending on the individual, the point at which decisions are made, and on a range
of internal and external factors. This research highlighted that at the early stages of
career decision making and also through career progression the impact of sexual
orientation on decisions is often sub-conscious. When interviewees were encouraged
to reflect on their decisions, in some cases the impact of their sexual orientation on
their decisions had not previously been acknowledged. For example, most
interviewees were keen to stress at the beginning of the interview that their personal
preferences were the most important influence on their decisions and choices.
However on further reflection they also acknowledged the sub-conscious decisions
they had made as a result of their sexual orientation, often as a result of external
pressures and their personal experiences.
4
The following recommendations are suggested:
Recommendation 1: SDS uses this report in order to increase awareness of careers
advisors / and other employees responsible for providing advice and guidance to the
general public.
Recommendation 2: SDS continues to work with partners to ensure their customers
have access to a range of products, guidance and support for individuals and groups
of stakeholders to help reduce the barriers for LGB communities in education and
employment.
Recommendation 3: SDS continues to build on and improve its approach to
providing personalised advice and guidance.
Recommendation 4: SDS makes better use of its website to improve its image in
relation to equality issues.
Recommendation 5: SDS continues to work with partners and stakeholders to help
support individuals to overcome any negative impacts on decisions as a result of
their sexual orientation
5
1.
Introduction
In October 2010 Skills Development Scotland (SDS) commissioned the Office for
Public Management (OPM) to conduct research into the impact of sexual orientation
on career management skills and career progression for individuals who identify as
lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) in Scotland.
SDS is a non-departmental public body which brought together the careers, skills,
training and funding services of Careers Scotland, Scottish University for Industry
(LearnDirect Scotland) and the skills functions of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands &
Islands Enterprise. Skills are known to play a central role in raising employment
levels and productivity and are fundamental to ensuring Scotland's businesses have
the capability to compete successfully both now and in the future. SDS are tasked
with catalysing real and positive change in Scotland's skills performance by linking
skills supply and demand more effectively and helping people and organisations
learn, develop and utilise these skills to greater effect.
With the introduction of new legislative requirements and duties in 2010 (and the
streamlining of existing ones) for public bodies and organisations in England,
Scotland and Wales under the Equality Act 2010 (which came into force in October
2010), SDS wishes to lead the way in meeting the new public sector duties, and to be
an example of good practice with regards to equalities and specifically the inclusion
of LGB communities. SDS understands the importance of engaging with a wide
range of stakeholders in order to be knowledgeable about and accessible to all subgroups within the Scottish community. However at present the organisation holds
limited data on the sexual orientation of its customers.
This report has been designed to improve understanding and awareness of all those
involved in the design and delivery of SDS services. It outlines the challenges faced
by LGB people and the impact sexual orientation can have on a person‟s education
and career. The report provides evidence based recommendations on how to tackle
some of the impacts of sexual orientation in relation to the career management skills
of LGB people in Scotland. In addition it provides further recommendations on what
SDS can do to develop and improve its own products and services, including how
best to work with partners and wider stakeholders.
The report is structured in the following way:
Chapter 1: the remainder of this chapter provides an overview of the research aims
and objectives as well as the context within which this research sits.
Chapter 2: provides detail on the design of the research and the methodology used.
Chapter 3: provides detail on the research findings including the development of the
conceptual model that helps to give a visual representation of the findings.
Chapter 4: provides an overview of the findings and final recommendations.
1.1
Aims and objectives
On commissioning this piece of research, SDS hope to develop a baseline of
information directly relevant to its services in order to inform future policy, as well as
further develop and improve its products and services and their delivery to LGB
stakeholders. In order to do this the research study has five key objectives:
6

To establish if, how, and to what extent sexual orientation influences or affects the
career choices and decision making of LGB people around education, training
and employment and to what extent, if any, sexual orientation stereotyping is an
issue in relation to these career decisions.

To establish the extent to which sexual orientation impacts upon the ability of LGB
people to achieve and maintain a successful transition into employment,
education or training.

To establish the extent to which sexual orientation impacts on the ability to
progress successfully in the chosen career field.

To examine visibility in regards to interactions with education, training and
employment and identify the consequences (both positive and negative) of
disclosure of sexual identity and how this may vary amongst particular industry
sectors.

To measure perception/understanding of SDS products and services by LGB
people and to establish how understanding and awareness could be improved
and how SDS might make information and services accessible to individuals from
the LGB communities.
1.2
Context
LGB people are estimated to make up around 5% of the population of Scotland,
which is approximately 250,000 people from across all parts of society3. Research
suggests that LGB people in Scotland continue to come across discriminatory
attitudes. For example the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey in 20064 found that 33%
of respondents would be unhappy if a close relative formed a long-term same-sex
relationship; and in 2002 Beyond Barriers‟ First Out survey5 found that 23% of LGBT
people in Scotland had been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation
or gender identity. Stonewall‟s report, Towards a Healthier LGBT Scotland6, found
that: “Low self-esteem, anxiety and depression are common experiences for many
LGBT people. The report suggests that “problems associated with homophobia and
transphobia in early life, such as bullying and low self-esteem, can continue into
adulthood and have serious, long-term negative health and social consequences for
individuals affected”. In addition, the National Centre for Social Research conducted
research in 2001 with a variety of LGBT organisations in Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness, this research found that: “Fundamentally, the
experience of LGBT people outside of the central belt (essentially Glasgow and
Edinburgh) was felt to be qualitatively different and significantly more difficult. It was
argued that greater invisibility (especially in the Highlands and Islands), greater
3
Challenging Prejudice: changing attitudes to LGBT people in Scotland
4
Public Attitudes to Discrimination in Scotland: 2006. C Bromley, J Curtice and L Given, Scottish
Government Social Research, 2007.
5
First Out. Beyond Barriers, 2002.
6
Towards a Healthier LGBT Scotland. NHS Inclusion Project, 2003.
7
perceived homophobia within rural communities and the power of the church in rural
areas made life more problematic for LGBT people, and made it difficult for any sort
of community development or capacity building to occur.”7
Compounding this is the fact that there are very few public figures that are openly
lesbian, gay or bisexual in Scotland and research suggests that this, along with other
factors such as inappropriate health advice or treatment and continued discrimination
or harassment at work, or in the provision of goods and services, including public
services, compounds the stigma and isolation which are felt to a varying extent by
many LGBT people in Scotland8.
Change is happening however; interviewees involved in this research aged over 30
years commented on how they had noticed the difference in social attitudes within
their lifetime and the positive impact they had perceived this to have on younger
individuals‟ experiences in both education and employment. Despite few public
figures currently being visible as LG or B in Scotland, across the UK and
internationally there are increased numbers of „visible‟ public figures in sport, music,
politics and public life. This, combined with increased numbers of LGBT networks in
universities, colleges and in the workplace, has helped to encourage younger LGB
people to feel more comfortable with their identity and sexual orientation.
Furthermore, changes in legislation and increased „political‟ activity of the LGB
community over the past decade have removed much of the historical discrimination
on grounds of sexual orientation from the laws of Scotland and have helped to
increase awareness of LGB issues in Scotland. The following provides an overview
of the key events9:

2000: After months of campaigning, the Scottish Parliament passes Ethical
Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act, which repeals Section 2810. Other
legislative achievements in 2000 were the passing of the Adults with Incapacity
(Scotland) Act, which recognised same-sex couples for the first time in Scottish
law; and the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act passed, which places a duty
on education authorities to encourage equality, including on grounds of sexual
orientation.

2001: Beyond Barriers founded: a 3-year project to promote LGBT equality and
diversity across Scotland.

2001: First Pride in Aberdeen held in the Duthie Park
7
Sexual Orientation Research Phase 2: The Future of LGBT Research – Perspectives of Community
Organisations. Scottish Executive Social Research, 2003
8
Challenging Prejudice: changing attitudes to LGBT people in Scotland
9
Forty Years of LGBT Activism in Scotland, Equality Network, 2010
10
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 was a controversial amendment to the United
Kingdom's Local Government Act 1986, enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in
Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the UK. The amendment stated that a local
authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of
promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of
homosexuality as a pretended family relationship"
8

2003: The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) (Amendment) Regulations
2003 make it unlawful for employers to discriminate on grounds of sexual
orientation.

2003: First legal recognition in Scotland of a same-sex couple and their children
as a family: two lesbian mothers get parental rights and responsibilities for each
other's child.

2005: The Civil Partnership Act becomes law: the first same-sex couples in
Scotland register on 20th December.

2006: The Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 gives same-sex bidie-ins the same
legal rights as mixed-sex bidie-ins with the exception of adoption, fostering, and
parental rights following fertility treatment.

2006: LGBT Centre launched in Dumfries and Galloway.

2007: Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations ban discrimination on the
grounds of sexual orientation in provision of goods, facilities, and services in the
UK.

2009: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 becomes law: a child
conceived in a same-sex relationship after April 2009 can be born with two
mothers.

2009: The Sentencing of Offences Aggravated by Prejudice (Scotland) Act
becomes law, recognising homophobic hate crime in Scotland.

2009: The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 becomes law: the fostering
regulations from 1996 are repealed, and same-sex couples have the same right
to be assessed as adoptive parents as mixed-sex couples do.
There is a lack of baseline information on sexual orientation. Currently, no Census
level data are collected on people‟s sexual orientation at UK or Scottish level. The
Office for National Statistics has ruled out including a question on sexual orientation
within the 2011 Census. As a result figures on the number of LGBT people are
currently based on estimates, while research studies exploring LGBT issues have
tended to gather views from those involved in voluntary sector organisations or who
attend gay or lesbian venues. These methods offer practical approaches to data
collection from a group that is recognised to be hard to reach. Nevertheless, there
are significant limits to these methods, in terms of being able to gather reliable and
robust data on aspects of people‟s lives that relate to sexual orientation.11
Despite this paucity of robust statistics, the document review conducted as part of
this research was able to extract from a wide range of sources some useful and
interesting information on the key themes explored as part of this research including
the impact of sexual orientation on experiences in education and training and
subsequent career decisions. These findings have been included, where relevant,
throughout Chapter 3 of this report.
11
Equality issues in Scotland: a review of research, 2000–08. EHRC Research Report 29
9
2.
Research Design and Methodology
The research was undertaken in two stages combining the collection and analysis of
both primary and secondary data. This section outlines the research methods used at
different stages of the research as well as our approach to the construction of the
sampling framework, our recruitment strategy, the interviewing process, and our
approach to data analysis.
Stage one involved a number of scoping interviews with experts involved in policy
and research into LGB peoples‟ experiences. We interviewed representatives from
the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC); Scottish Government Equality Unit;
Stonewall Scotland; NUS Scotland, and LGBT Youth Scotland. The interviews
helped us gather expert opinion and evidence on key themes and added more
specificity to the study‟s lines of enquiry including known information about
experiences of LGB people in education, training and employment and the career
management skills and career progression of LGB people in Scotland.
Alongside the scoping interviews we carried out a review of existing SDS data and
published research relevant to sexual orientation and education, training and
employment. This review provided us with a synthesis of existing literature on skills,
training, employment and career progression among LGB communities. Key themes
and associations from across the literature were drawn out and summarised and
have been included in the findings of this report. A list of the documents reviewed is
available in appendix 1.
Learning from the scoping phase helped to inform the tools used to collect primary
data in stage two of the project.
Stage two involved a combination of 24 telephone and face-to-face depth interviews
with a cross section of members from the LGB communities in Scotland. The
interviews aimed to capture detail about the complex interplay of sexual orientation
and wider choices and decisions around education, training and employment.
Interviewees were also asked to reflect on their experiences of accessing careers
advice and support as well as offering suggestions and insights on how the services
provided by SDS could be improved.
2.1
Sampling quotas and rationale behind them
Sampling quotas were used to ensure that interviews were conducted with a range of
LGB individuals in Scotland. The intended target sample was 24, with 8 individuals
from each of the three groups (lesbian, gay, and bisexual).
Table 1 on the following page presents sampling quota targets and the primary
variables against which participants were recruited. Self-completion by participants of
an online screening tool at the recruitment stage helped to monitor how well the
sample reflected the target quotas.
10
Table 1: Primary sampling variables and targets
Total number of interviews: n = 24
Age - Research type
Lesbian
(n=8)
Gay
(n=8)
Bisexual (n=4 male/n-4 female)
Male
Female
Age 16-30 phone interview
4
4
2
2
Age 31+ phone interview
2
2
1
1
Age 16-30 face to face
1
1
1 OR 1
Age 31+ face to face
1
1
1 OR 1
8
8
4
4
Table 2: Additional sampling
Secondary considerations - no target quotas
Location
Urban
Employment/education Undertaking
education and/or
/training status
training
Rural
Employed
(including FT/PT,
self employed)
Unemployed NEET
Location: urban and rural, to encourage a spread across Scotland, including if
possible participants from the Highlands and Islands
Additional factors: inclusion of those from the additional equality groups (gender
reassignment, ethnicity, religion/belief, and disability)
The self-completed screening questionnaire asked potential participants to voluntarily
offer information regarding these characteristics. From this it was possible to monitor
the diversity of the sample and target the recruitment and outreach as required.
2.2
Outreach and recruitment
Research participants were recruited in the following ways:

Through contact with LGB affiliated organisations including putting short
introductions to the research project on internet websites and discussion boards
whose users were likely to identify as LG or B

Social networking and online information: through online forums, groups and ecommunities.

Developing a bespoke project webpage providing more information about the
research, the methods used, potential involvement of participants and what that
would mean, and an introduction to the research team. The webpage included a
11
link to register an interest in taking part in the research and a protected self
completion form (mentioned above) where interviewees could express their
interest in participating that provided the recruitment team with the sampling
information needed (www.opm.co.uk/lgbt).

Organisational outreach: through groups and organisations with LGB(T) networks
or equality and diversity representatives, including colleges, universities and
employers.
At regular intervals the sample was reviewed by the team to see whether more
targeted recruitment was needed to meet the sampling quotas. Consequently, a
sampling strategy was adopted where organisations were identified that were likely to
attract specific groups of LGB people (e.g. in terms of their age and geographical
location).
For more detail on our recruitment process see appendix 2.
We secured 24 interviews in total; as a result of the recruitment challenges faced
there was twice as many gay men interviewed than lesbian women, however there
was twice as many bi-sexual women interviewed than bi-sexual men. An overview of
the sample is provided in Table 3.
Table 3: Sample overview
Age – Interview method
Lesbian Gay
Bisexual
Male
Female
Age 16-30 telephone
2
8
3
Age 31+ telephone
2
1
1
Age 16-30 face to face
1
2
1
Age 31+ face to face
1
1
1
6
12
2
Total
4
It proved more difficult to identify male bisexual and lesbian interviewees, and the
research team also found engaging with 16 to 30 year olds a challenge, this was
overcome by more targeted approaches to organisations known to work with LGB
young people, and a more targeted approach to universities and colleges. The
diversity of the sample in relation to location, ethnicity and disability sample was
limited. The majority of the sample (n=24) identified as White British/Scottish.
2.3
Interviewing process
Our outreach methods enabled us to successfully recruit and interview 24 individuals
who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. The semi-structured depth interviews
explored the key research questions, and were tailored according to certain variables
12
such as employed/ unemployed/ in training; they took an ethnographic approach
which encouraged an exploration of the participant‟s life story in terms of their
education and career choices and relationship with their sexual orientation and
identify.
As well as information available on the project website, prior to the interview all
participants were provided with more details about the purpose of the project. Prior to
the interview, all participants were assured that their responses would remain
anonymous and that all the information they provide would be reported confidentially.
The researchers also emphasised to the participants that they did not need to
respond to questions they did not feel comfortable answering.
The 18 telephone interviews lasted approximately 60 minutes each; the remaining 6
interviews were conducted face to face and lasted up to 90 minutes. In the face to
face interviews participants were invited and encouraged to create a visual „life map‟
designed to outline and map their experiences and then to detail their decisions
along the way, this helped to unveil rich detail about sexual orientation and its impact
on career decisions.
Each participant was paid £20 in appreciation of their time and the intelligence they
shared. The payment was made via an electronic transfer or by cheque. As part of
good ethical practice participants were given clear information about the payment,
emphasising that it was not in any way an inducement to get them to respond to the
questions in a specific way. It was also explained to the participants that the data
would be used to produce a report for SDS with policy recommendations. Each
interviewee was asked, on completion of the project, whether they would like a short
bullet-point summary of the findings sent to them via e-mail. The interview guide can
be found in the appendices (appendix 3).
2.4
Data analysis
A thematic framework was developed based on the interview guides; the interview
data were then sorted and assigned to their place on the framework before analysis
commenced. „Pre-determined‟ themes already identified for investigation (based on
the interview guide) were complemented by emerging findings, which were used to
structure responses. The following stage was investigative in that the data were
scrutinised against the research questions and, whenever appropriate, connections
were made across the data, providing an interpretive layer to the final analysis. The
final analysis enabled us to develop a conceptual framework which allows us to
present the findings in a meaningful and logical way. Further detail of this framework
is provided in Section 3 of this report. The interview data has also been crossreferenced with the rapid review of evidence and any additional findings from the
scoping interviews.
2.5
Methodological considerations
Having conducted similar research in this area the research team were fully aware of
a number of key considerations for the research. For example, consideration was
given to the complexity of sexual orientation as subject matter. The impact of sexual
orientation upon individual life courses and choices, and the impact of wider societal
homophobia or discrimination upon LGB people as a group is complex and often
influenced by a range of factors requiring careful exploration and rigorous analysis;
13
for these reasons the research team used a methodology that employs a qualitative
exploratory/descriptive approach12,13 in the collection of primary data, with an
accompanying secondary analysis.
2.5
Definitions used in the research
In reading this report, please be aware that these definitions have been applied in
relation to the following terms:
Career Management Skills: SDS uses the following definition of Career
Management Skills:
“skills to gather, interpret and analyse career, learning and labour market
information; the personal knowledge to combine this analysis with ambitions; the
self-confidence to regularly explore options in learning and work; and take
resultant action in building personal career pathways14”
SDS recognises that some customers already have, or can learn, the skills to enable
them to fulfil this definition on their own, whilst others will need continuous help with
the many decisions on learning and employment that they will face in future.
Visibility: „Visibility‟ or „being visible‟ refers to people being open about their sexual
orientation in the public domain, and the extent to which these people are identifiable
as such.
Why transgender people were not included in this research
Due to the resource constraints of this research and the subsequent limitations this
puts on the sample size it was not possible for us to include transgender people as a
separate sampling variable. It was felt that the inclusion of another identity variable
would potentially compromise the validity of the research findings. However this did
not exclude transgender people from volunteering to participate in the research if
they do in fact identify as lesbian, gay or bi-sexual.
12 Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage Publications.
13 Pawson, R. and Tilly, N. (1997) Realistic Evaluation. London: Sage
14
Skills Development Scotland, Career Management Skills, Policy Brief, June 2010
14
3. Research Findings
We interviewed a total of 24 individuals from LGB communities in Scotland ranging
from 19 to 67 years old; we also carried out a review of existing SDS data and
published research relevant to sexual orientation and education, training and
employment. Following the analysis of the data we produced a conceptual framework
to help illustrate our main findings. This section provides details of this conceptual
framework and outlines the key findings from the fieldwork.
Development of the conceptual framework
The pathway that an individual takes throughout their career – from school through to
employment – and what influences their career-related decisions along the way is
presented through the use of two distinct models that make up the overarching
conceptual framework for the research findings (Figure 1 and 2). The following
section provides some explanation of how the models were developed.
Figure 1 shows the typical „pathway‟ an individual takes through the course of their
career, from school through to employment. Figure 2 depicts the main factors that
impact on the decision-making process of an individual progressing through that
pathway. The models, and their main component parts, emerged clearly through the
thematic analysis of the data and we have developed them in order to act as a visual
representation of the findings as outlined in greater detail in the sub-sections that
follow.
Figure 1: an individual’s career pathway
15
Figure 2: the decision making process along the career pathway
Analysis of the findings from the interviews suggests that there are two distinct
phases of a career pathway – as depicted in figure 1. The first phase is the early,
formative, years when „early career choices‟ are made – largely in school and
higher/further education. The second phase is the „career progression‟ phase, when
the individual is in the process of developing their career further.
It was clear that the majority of decisions in the formative years (early career choices
– see figure 1) are based more on perception, whereas in later years (career
progression) they‟re based more on experiences.
In addition, evidence from the primary and secondary data identified three types of
factors that are taken into account by individuals when making decisions about early
career choices and career progression as depicted in figure 2. These are:
A: Personal preferences: such as interests, motivations, and level of ambition
B: Personal experiences: what happens to a person through their life
C: External environment: wider societal and contextual factors
Figure 2 is a linear pathway which depicts these three main factors and their interdependency, and how a combination of these factors impacts either negatively or
positively on the individual and how they progress through their career pathway
(figure 1). These factors are likely to affect future decision-making and the choices
taken along the career pathway. If the impact is positive the individual continues to
pursue aspirations, however if it is negative these aspirations are not pursued.
16
It is possible for an individual to enter and re-enter this cyclical process at numerous
points during along their career pathway (figure 1) and that people can feasibly move
through this process quickly. For example, a number of the interviewees pursued
aspirations early on, but then due to negative experiences they then decided to
discontinue on this particular pathway, but later on in life they returned to following
their aspirations (which may have been different to what they were early on in the
career pathway), for various reasons. Thus, the diagram indicates that the pathway
can be cyclical.
The size of each factor in Figure 2 is displayed as equal in the diagram. However, in
reality the weighting of the factor (preferences, experiences, external environment)
depends on the individual and how they respond personally to the factors impacting
on their decisions. In this research the sample size was too small for us to draw any
definitive conclusions regarding which factor has the most impact on decisions at any
one time.
We are aware that there are a wide range of factors that influence career decisions in
young people, including their friends, culture, teachers/career adviser, the media,
parents and extended family. For a lesbian, gay or bi-sexual person the findings from
this research also demonstrate a complex web of additional factors around selfidentity and societal stereotypes and perceptions that both consciously and subconsciously impact on choices and decisions. Similarly, when progressing in one‟s
career there are the usual influences on decisions, such as money, relationships and
location. However, this research also demonstrates the additional factors affecting
LGB people‟s decisions that are often a result of their sexual orientation.
Assumptions made:
1. that individuals are in employment and/or training – it was beyond the scope of
this research to specifically target individuals who are unemployed
2. by using the word „career‟ it assumes that someone is primarily motivated to
go through the journey that involves some form of further or higher education.
Our sample primarily involves people who have been through higher
education and so findings reflect this in terms of experiences at university.
Where appropriate we have included findings from the wider literature that
provides evidence on the impact on people who do not complete education as
a result of their sexual orientation
3. our interpretation of the SDS definition of Career Management Skills is the
ability of someone to make informed decisions about their career pathway
based on their life experiences – as such throughout this report we have
referred to individuals‟ decisions and choices along the „journey‟ as opposed
to their specific „career management skills‟
This research did not look into those individuals who did not pursue a career path
beyond school. It is therefore not possible to say how far sexual orientation impacts
on decisions for these individuals.
17
The remainder of this chapter is structured in the following way:
Section 3.1: explores an individual‟s early career choices, what influences these
choices and to what extent experiences in relation to sexual orientation have an
impact on decisions about careers. This section focuses primarily on people‟s
experiences in school and higher/further education and what perceptions individuals
have in relation to various sectors of employment. It also explores access to careers
advice at this stage of the journey.
Section 3.2: explores career progression, what influences career progression and
how far sexual orientation has an impact on decisions. It focuses on how far
personal perceptions around certain sectors and stereotypes have turned into reality
in the workplace, people‟s experiences of being „visible‟ (or not) in the workplace and
the impact this has on career progression. It also explores access to careers advice
at this stage of the journey.
Section 3.3: explores experiences of SDS services and projects and provides a
summary of suggestions from interviewees for improving services.
3.1
Early career choices
This section looks at the impact of sexual orientation on early career choices. By
early career choices we mean those choices and decisions that are made during the
formative years at school, college and university when the majority of people are
between the ages of 16 and 24 years old and are considering what it is that they
want to do (see Figure 1).
When making early career choices there are three main factors that this research
shows to have an impact on decisions and choices that are made by LGB people
(see Figure 2). These are:

Personal preferences: a person‟s likes, dislikes and interests, character and
personality

Personal experiences: experiences at home, school, college and/ or university
(primarily in relation to sexual orientation)

External environment: early perceptions of certain sectors, visibility of role
models, (primarily in relation to sexual orientation), career support available
We recognise the inter-relationship between all these factors, we also appreciate that
they act concurrently and impact on decisions in various ways, depending on other
factors such as location, socio-economic status, support networks, gender and age.
This section brings together the evidence to outline the extent to which sexual
orientation has an impact on career management at an early stage.
Personal preferences
When discussing a person‟s preferences we are referring to someone‟s likes and
dislikes, aspirations, and motivations (e.g. money, charity etc). At this stage these are
not necessarily perceived to be directly linked to a person‟s sexual orientation.
When asked about early career choices and the factors that had influenced choices
and decisions all of the interviewees talked about how their own personal likes,
18
dislikes and interests had been the primary influence on their initial choices and
decisions on subjects to study at school and university or college (if attended). They
also talked about how they had aspired to do certain jobs from an early age, and
thought about how much money they would earn, and where they thought they might
want to live.
Despite evidence from elsewhere suggesting that: “…sexuality changes the context
in which employment possibilities, choices and experiences occur”15 few of our
interviewees considered that being LGB was a factor directly linked to their early
choices and decisions. In fact, a number of interviewees were clear that their sexual
orientation had not influenced their decisions at all. Others felt that it was difficult for
them to see a link between the two, but reserved a possibility that being LGB may
have subconsciously impacted on their choices.
“I don‟t think that‟s what had an impact on my career choices… If it is, it‟s not a
deliberate choice, if you know what I mean.” (gay man, age 20)
“Generally I think my understanding of sexuality and my understanding of career
choices are quite independent strands.” (bisexual woman, age 28)
“I wouldn‟t say it impacted the choices at all… I can‟t see the link between sexual
orientation and career.” (gay man, age 25)
A number of interviewees stated that they would not be diverted from pursuing a
certain career because of their sexual orientation:
“I personally wouldn‟t make career choices based on fears … if I really wanted to
do something [I wouldn‟t see a barrier]” (queer woman, age 29)
“Personally I don‟t think so [that there are any jobs I couldn‟t do because I‟m gay
but] some people who are not so comfortable with their sexuality [could answer
differently]” (gay man, age 23)
As interviewees were taken through the interview process and encouraged to think
about their experiences at school and in further or higher education it soon became
clear that their experiences in relation to their sexual orientation had in fact had more
of an impact than they had originally thought – much of which had been subconscious.
Personal experiences
Interviewees were asked to reflect on their personal experiences at home and
throughout school and further/higher education (if they attended FE or HE). In
response interviewees spoke of experiences within their home and local community
as well as experiences at school, university and college, and considered how these
may have impacted, on reflection, on the decisions that they had made. As well as
the wider influences on career decisions (such as family, friends, the media etc),
participants also reflected more specifically on their early experiences of homophobia
15
Ryan-Flood, R (2004) „Beyond Recognition and Redistribution: A case study of lesbian and gay
workers in a local labour market in Britain‟ Gender Institute.
19
and their ability to be visible as an LGB young person and how this had affected their
decisions.
Experiences at home
In addition to their own likes and dislikes interviewees mentioned the influence of
family and friends on their early choices, such influences included wanting to pursue
certain careers in order to please parents, or wanting to study certain subjects
because they had been studied by siblings or friends. In most cases these were
considered to be „neutral‟ influences, in terms of not being negative or positive, and
also having no relation to sexual orientation.
When discussing experiences more specifically related to sexual orientation, the
main factors highlighted were experiences of homophobia and the ability to be visible
in the local community and with family. Research by the National Centre for Social
Research (NatCen) held with a variety of LGBT organisations in Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness, at the end of 2001, found that: “Fundamentally,
the experience of LGBT people outside of the central belt (essentially Glasgow and
Edinburgh) was felt to be qualitatively different and significantly more difficult. It was
argued that greater invisibility (especially in the Highlands and Islands), greater
perceived homophobia within rural communities and the power of the church in rural
areas made life more problematic for LGBT people16. Findings from our primary
research support this view; some interviewees reflected on how negative
experiences had led them to want to move away from the place they had grown up.
“[I wanted to do] anything to get me away from where I was living. [….] was not a
place to be gay in. There was no support mechanism, so I wanted to get out.”
(gay man, age 40)
“Probably [being gay didn‟t impact] on the choice whether or not to go to
university, but perhaps whether I stayed at home or went away. The distance
probably didn‟t matter, but I wasn‟t out [in my hometown] and the desire to gain
independence was probably linked to sexuality.” (gay man, age 27)
“I really struggled to deal with being gay and accept who I was…If I‟d been more
supported at that point in my life I would probably have gone to a local college or
university and stayed in the area. But the only option was to go away.” (gay man,
age 40)
Despite the negative aspects of moving away from home, for many young LGB
people leaving home is a “liberating” experience and is often the first chance for them
to “come out” and meet other LGB people. Consequently, those not able to leave
home or pursue opportunities in higher education can be deprived of this opportunity,
particularly if there are limited possibilities to change their geographical location. In
addition, evidence shows that the early experiences of lesbian and gay people are
more likely to be positive if they come from a more privileged socio-economic
background or have a supportive family. The implication of this is that the
16
Sexual Orientation Research Phase 2: The Future of LGBT Research – Perspectives of Community
Organisations. Scottish Executive Social Research, 2003.
20
opportunities afforded to these lesbian and gay people are not so prominent for those
in lower socio-economic backgrounds who are therefore disproportionately affected
by their sexual orientation.17
Experiences at school
Similarly experiences at school focused primarily on experiences of homophobia and
an individual‟s ability to be „out‟. Decisions about visibility in education are complex.
They are affected by the perceived and real environment around an LGB person, as
well as how they feel about their sexual orientation internally. Interviewees talked
about their experiences at school, in particular about their experiences of
homophobia and the decisions they made about „coming out‟ or being visible as LGB
to their peers.
Recent research shows that homophobic bullying in schools and higher education is
widespread18: “[despite the repeal of Section 28] there is still a long way to go before
LGB young people and teachers can be themselves with confidence in all Scottish
schools and LGB families can feel sure that they will not face prejudice and
discrimination in wider society.”19 Studies show that not only does homophobic
bullying lead to high levels of absenteeism, self-harm and suicidal tendencies, it also
leads to LGB pupils being more likely to leave school at 16 than their straight
counterparts, despite achieving the equivalent of six GCSEs at grade C.20 In addition,
it is know to have an impact on the learned behaviours and attitudes that children
carry into maturity.21 Research in the North West of England with LGBT people found
that many of them had negative experiences of education, which had impacted on
their decisions to complete courses, their education attainment, and ultimately had a
longer term impact on employment opportunities.22
Evidence from our interviews supports the wider research. Most interviewees have
had experiences of homophobia in school, whether directly or indirectly, and as a
result this had affected their decisions about their visibility in education and their own
self confidence and sense of identity. When people had not been „out‟ at school, the
most common reasons were levels of fear about experiencing a negative reaction
from peers:
17
The Equalities Review, (2007) „The Equalities Review: Sexual orientation research…‟
18
Mitchell, M; Howarth, C; Kotecha, M; Creegan, C, (2009) „Sexual Orientation Research…‟
19
The Scottish Government, (2008) „Challenging prejudice: changing attitudes…‟
20
The Equalities Review, (2007) „The Equalities Review: Sexual orientation research review‟ The
Equalities Review.
21
McLean, C; O‟Connor, W, (2003) „Social Justice Sexual Orientation Research Phase 2: The Future
of LGBT Research – Perspectives of Community Organisations‟ Scottish Executive.
22
Hall, N; Panton, D, (2009) „Improving the Region's Knowledge Base‟…
21
“There‟s no way I could come out at school – I was quite sporty, and I‟d had some
homophobic comments – people said I must be a lesbian...the homophobia was
horrendous, there‟s no way I would come out at school.” (lesbian woman, age 35)
Interviewees also supported the wider evidence that suggests the impact of negative
experiences is the inability to feel comfortable with one‟s identity and develop self
confidence which ultimately leads to a negative impact on educational performance.
One interviewee expressed regret that “the issues weren‟t addressed at school” and
that he could not “integrate” his sexual orientation in his decisions.
“Sexuality and the normalisation of it weren‟t dealt with. I had to go away and do
that myself; I didn‟t deal with it until I was on my own and irresponsible. If I‟d been
more of a confident person, because it had been dealt with at school, I would‟ve
skipped all the stuff [I did over the last 10 years] and gone straight to what I
wanted to do.” (gay man, age 30)
In addition, another interviewee felt that due to the legislation at the time (Section 28)
she was unable to seek the advice and guidance she needed.
“Looking back – it was difficult because of the introduction of Section 28…I didn‟t
get the advice or guidance at school that might have made me feel more
confident about myself…and help me make decisions about what I wanted to do.”
(lesbian woman, age 35)
By contrast, other interviewees had not had a negative experience at school, and had
felt able to be „out‟. As a result they had been able to pursue what they had wanted to
from an earlier age.
“My sexual orientation wasn‟t an issue for me at school, I was out to most people,
it didn‟t bother me and I didn‟t have any hassle.” (lesbian woman, age 19)
Such findings are more prominent in the younger age groups and therefore suggests,
that despite wider evidence saying that homophobia is still widespread, situations for
some young people in schools may be improving, albeit slowly.
Even though the majority of participants were sceptical about attributing the
relevance of being LGB to their early career choices, particularly those who did not
have negative experiences, as explorations throughout the interviews progressed a
large number of participants could see the role their sexual orientation had played as
a result of their experiences at school. Participants‟ accounts suggest that while it is
rare for sexual orientation to be the main reason behind choosing a particular job or
profession, their early experiences do in fact contribute in some way to the direction
that they pursue and their career trajectory.
Experiences in further and higher education
Research shows that for many LGB people, leaving home often seems the only way
in which they can be themselves, make friends with other LGB people and others
22
who accept and welcome them, access appropriate and inclusive services and be
active citizens23.
Due to their experiences at school, for some LGB people fears about possible
experiences of homophobia were as prevalent in further and /or higher education
(FE/HE). However for most of the interviewees involved in this research, the
experiences at University were more positive; experiences helped to build their self
confidence and despite still experiencing homophobia, the support networks around
them and the increased sense of community meant that the negative impact were
reduced.
The positive aspects of university experiences were the opportunity for interviewees
to meet other LGB people (for example through LGBT networks) and to go through a
„journey of self discovery‟ which for many was both liberating and fulfilling. However,
such experiences were combined with continued experiences of homophobia which
paradoxically had a negative impact on self confidence and encouraged participants
to immerse themselves more in the „safe LGB community‟ which in itself was both
positive and negative.
Exposure to ‘LGB culture’
For some interviewees, FE/HE was the first time they had been exposed to the wider
„LGB community‟ through involvement in the LGBT societies both politically and
socially providing the opportunity to meet and socialise with other LGB individuals.
For some this had led to them becoming more aware of LGB issues, and as a result
more politically active, for others it was about socialising with other LGB people and
feeling part of a „community‟ of acceptance and „normalisation‟; or a combination of
the two.
Interviewees felt that the impact of these experiences can be both positive and
negative. The positive impact is that it helps you to build self confidence and self
acceptance and raises your awareness of issues relating to LGB communities. For
example, a 19 year old lesbian woman felt that through exposure to more LGB
people at university she now wanted to do counselling as opposed to music
“Being involved in the LGBT society has made me realise that there are a lot of
people out there suffering from mental health issues, I think I can help them, so
have chosen to do counselling as a career” (lesbian woman, age 19)
Similarly a 23-year-old gay man felt that being gay had enforced his interest in social
inequalities and thus his willingness to pursue a career in politics.
“I wanted to make things more equal… [because of being gay] I had had some
problems [at school], and I didn‟t want other people to have the same ones.” (gay
man, age 23)
However, the possible negative impact was the exposure for some individuals to the
LGB party „sub-culture‟ and the impact it has on academic studies. These are also
combined with experiences of the new expectations coming from within the LGB
23
Challenging Prejudice: changing attitudes
23
community – both of which can have an impact on career choices and career
progression in the long term (to be discussed in the following section).
“I ran the LGB society and got quite involved in what my sexuality meant to me.
That hadn‟t been an issue beforehand and it was a big thing to go through, so it
took precedence over my studies…I immersed myself into this new [party] life
because I thought that that is what it meant to be gay.. what I really wanted to do
for a career [working with children] didn't fit in with the expectations of my peers
around me, it wasn‟t cool, so I didn‟t do it…. However, on a plus side I discovered
myself more, but at the same time I think that took away from the academic
side…my sexuality did have an influence there…they were competing elements –
my studies verses my journey.” (gay man, age 30)
In addition, the idea that LGB people are, or should be, politically active and
campaign for equality was suggested by one interviewee to be reinforced by some
LGBT organisations.
“…the gay community sometimes can perceive that because you‟re gay you
should be political and stand up for the rights of gay people.” (gay man, age 23)
Experiences of the interviewees of homophobia at university varied; despite a large
number being involved in LGBT groups at university, outside of that „safe‟
environment some had still experienced both direct and indirect homophobia, and in
some instances this had led to drop out of courses or a less enjoyable experience.
Perceived homophobia can lead individuals to be unable to be visibly LGB because
of the views of their peers and a fear that they would not be understood in such an
environment.
“There was no way I was coming out on any of my labs or courses – [I thought] I
can‟t do this – I can‟t be in this science arena and be out – I remember feeling that
quite strongly.” (lesbian woman, age 35)
Wider evidence supports this; it indicates that the educational attainment of LGB
people can be negatively affected by their own feelings, and the attitudes of others,
towards their orientation.24 Research with LGBT people in the North West of England
found that many who had negative experiences of education, which had impacted on
their decisions to complete courses, their education attainment, and ultimately had a
longer term impact on employment opportunities.25
Due to the small size of our study sample, it is impossible to assess the extent to
which the younger generation of LGB people, currently still in education or at early
stages of their careers, experiences similar problems. However, the fact that only two
interviewees in their early 20s expressed concerns about the indirect negative impact
their sexual orientation have had on their academic performance and the fact that a
much larger proportion of the younger (16 – 30 years) than the older age group of
interviewees (31+ years) were able to „come out‟ at some point in their school and
24
The Scottish Government, (2008) „Challenging prejudice: changing attitudes…‟
25
Hall, N; Panton, D, (2009) „Improving the Region's Knowledge Base‟…
24
university life suggests that the situation of young LGB people and their ability to be
visible in Scotland has improved over recent years.
Early experiences in the workplace
A small number of interviewees mentioned their experiences when in part-time jobs
and during organised work placements at school and university. All who recounted
this experience had come into contact with some form of direct or indirect
homophobia which had started to impact on their perceptions of what working life
might be like. Few had been „visible‟ as LGB.
Early experiences of stereotypes
Generalisations and assumptions about LGB communities are undeniably
widespread in society today; they are frequently conveyed through the media and
used to create stereotypes or „labels‟, often leading to internalised expectations of
self.
We asked interviewees about their experiences of stereotyping and about whether
they felt it was an issue in relation to their early career choices. Societal stereotypes
around which subjects an LGB person should or should not choose have a notable
impact on the career path an individual might take, and also on a person‟s feelings
about visibility. All interviewees acknowledged the existence of stereotypes with a
few acknowledging that it had an impact on their early career choices.
The most common stereotype to have an impact on early choices was the notion that
LGB people are more suited to arts subjects, for example music, theatre and social
sciences, rather than science subjects. Some interviewees felt that certain
stereotypes had impacted upon their experiences at school and university,
particularly for those that chose to study subjects such as engineering or science. A
common impact of stereotypes was the individual not pursuing a certain interest so
as not to „fulfil a stereotype‟.
“At one stage I really wanted to be a dancer, I loved dancing, but I didn‟t pursue
that, I didn‟t want to fulfil the gay stereotype…it‟s too late now.” (gay man, age 21)
For lesbian interviewees there was an added complexity due to the existence of
parallel gender stereotypes which assume that women are more inclined towards
arts subjects and less able to study science. Lesbian women face an added dilemma
in that if a lesbian chooses to break one stereotype (that women are suited to the
arts) and study a science subject, they may simultaneously be reinforcing the parallel
sexual orientation stereotype (that lesbians are masculine).
“It is as much the gender stereotype…if you are a young lesbian woman and want
to go into plumbing it‟s very likely that you don‟t want to be out because then
you‟re just fulfilling a stereotype. You‟ve got to have two things going on –
challenging the gender stereotype and challenging the homophobia.” (lesbian
woman, age 35)
Similarly, there are gender stereotypes that can impact on the educational choices of
gay men. Interviewees referred to subjects that are typically seen as more feminine
25
that are „gay-friendly‟ such as hairdressing or fashion, and the way in which gay men
may feel discouraged from choosing subjects associated with more masculine jobs,
such as „hard‟ business. Furthermore, there are some subjects that gay men may
feel less able to choose because of their gender, for example child care or youth
work, which have been stereotypically associated with women or have negative
societal connotations relating to gay men working with children.
With more masculine jobs it‟s sometimes harder for gay men… and for some
reason youth work seems more acceptable for women. It‟s more a gender thing,”
(gay man, age 25)
The prevalence of these gender stereotypes through a person‟s career pathway and
the impact on their experiences once in employment will be discussed in section 3.2.
Impact of early personal experiences
The above has outlined a very complex web of varying experiences of LGB people;
all of which both consciously and sub-consciously impact on decisions made
throughout the formative years of an individuals‟ career. Personal experiences impact
primarily on people‟s self confidence and self development and in turn this influences
the choices that they make – particularly around careers, location, their lifestyle, and
how they ensure they feel safe and lead a fulfilling life. One interviewee commented
how despite people denying their sexual orientation has an impact, it is almost
impossible to isolate it from other aspects of a person‟s personality
“I don‟t care what people say, your sexual orientation is part of your personality
and who you are, it‟s not separate to it, it may not be overt, but it‟s there” (gay
man, age 21)
Some interviewees highlighted the impact of their personal experiences on how they
felt within themselves, and the issue of „coming to terms‟ with their sexuality at a
young age:
“I do remember the pressure on me of knowing that I was a lesbian… At the back
of your mind you‟re feeling this pressure. I don‟t know subconsciously whether it
influenced my decisions.” (lesbian woman, age 35)
Analysis of the findings suggests that as people get older their experiences tend to
allow them to be able to accept their sexuality. The earlier someone is able to „accept
their sexuality and self‟ the earlier they are able to pursue what it is they want to
pursue – this acceptance comes from a wide range of sources, such as family and
friends and wider society.
External environment
The following section looks at the external environment and how it influences early
career choices. It looks primarily at the early perceptions of certain employment
sectors common amongst LGB communities and how these perceptions contribute to
early career choices and decisions (the impact of actual experiences in the sectors
will be discussed in section 3.2). The data from interviewees on this matter is rich
and complex when considering the sample size [n=24]; views and perceptions vary
26
but prevalent themes and views do emerge that are notable for SDS, their frontline
staff and their partners - these themes are presented below.
Early perceptions of employment sectors or specific jobs
A recent survey conducted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission revealed
that 40% of gay men, 32% of lesbians and 12% of bisexuals would not consider
some jobs because of their sexual orientation. The most commonly cited of these
were: the police service, the armed forces, teaching and manual trades. The reasons
given for this avoidance were the working cultures, organisational policies and
perceptions of homophobia26. Other research supports this by suggesting that some
specific professions are perceived as problematic by lesbians and gay men; for
example teaching professions at primary and secondary levels, considered less
conducive to being visible in the workplace compared to other jobs.27 This perception
may be linked to evidence on Scottish Social Attitudes, which suggests that one
quarter of people would not be comfortable if their child‟s teacher was gay.28
Evidence also suggests some careers are consciously avoided by lesbian and gay
workers because of the perception the workplaces are more likely to be homophobic:
“Sexuality shapes employment experiences and possibilities prior to entering a
workplace. Rather than homophobia becoming manifest in a particular work
environment, perceptions of homophobia inform people‟s employment decisions
and therefore influence their career trajectory.”29
Such findings are corroborated through our interviews; we heard a lot about specific
sectors and job roles and participants‟ perceptions of being LGB in different
industries. Although the majority of participants did not feel their sexual orientation
had a direct impact on their early career choices, there still seems to be a rational
weighing-up the positives and negatives of particular roles, employers and of
industries as a whole.
Most interviewees reported feeling a positive pull towards sectors that they perceive
to be LGB-friendly and/or where they are more likely to meet other LGB people.
Interviewees spoke of being attracted to industries and careers which they perceived
to be more „liberal‟ or where they believed they would be „accepted‟ and „fit in with
peers‟. In addition they reported being selective and cautious when choosing
industries and careers with a tendency to avoid sectors where they knew (or
26
Botcherby, S and Creegan, C, (2009) „Moving forward: putting sexual orientation in the public
domain‟ EHRC.
27
Ryan-Flood, R (2004) „Beyond Recognition and Redistribution: A case study of lesbian and gay
workers in a local labour market in Britain‟ Gender Institute.
28
The Scottish Government, (2008) „Challenging prejudice: changing attitudes towards lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people in Scotland. Recommendations of the LGBT Hearts and Minds
Agenda Group‟ Scottish Government.
29
Ryan-Flood, R (2004) „Beyond Recognition and Redistribution: A case study of lesbian and gay
workers in a local labour market in Britain‟ Gender Institute.
27
perceived) discrimination or harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation to be
more likely.
The public sector is broadly perceived as more LGB-friendly than the private sector.
Interviewees opinions were based on the view that equal opportunities has been
present and embedded for a longer period of time in the public sector and on a belief
that the public sector ethos or culture is more aware and accepting of difference. It
was suggested that in private firms a focus on profit may result in a lack of attention
being paid to, or concern with, the treatment of the workforce.
“The public sector [has] a longer ethos of equal opportunities – things like the
LGBT employee network. In private practice however, it is simply to make a profit
for the firm – sometimes they‟re not so fussed about the „fluffy‟ stuff.”
(bi-sexual man, age 38)
Similarly, interviewees felt that within the private sector there is a more prominent
‟masculine‟ culture, and for gay and bisexual men it was felt that the „blokey‟
atmosphere associated with the business world could make being open about their
sexual orientation difficult. Equally, industries like construction were perceived to be a
difficult environment for LGB people due to an increased likelihood of exposure to
homophobia and gender stereotyping and as a result feeling inhibited and less
comfortable in expressing one‟s sexual orientation.
As suggested by the wider research above, interviewees mentioned certain jobs
within the public sector that they felt may be problematic for LGB people. For
example, a number of interviewees expressed the view that the teaching profession
would be a difficult environment for many LGB people to work in. The reasons behind
this view were stated that parents and colleagues express homophobic views
because of the negative connotations in society regarding LGB people working with
vulnerable people (i.e. children). As a result of this LGB teachers may feel under
pressure to keep their sexual orientation hidden because coming out could mean
“career suicide” or could result in workplace bullying.
Interviewees also reported the likelihood to avoid sectors where they perceived that
they may be isolated.
“Some LGB people may choose not go into an employment sector where they
might be the only LGB person …so they would be happier to stay in
[stereotypically LGB professions]” (gay man, age 23)
“I know from the travel industry … [they choose] industries where other gay
people [are likely to] work … obvious jobs like gay bars, travel… Construction, the
building trade - always very homophobic… this is somewhere I wouldn‟t feel
comfortable working.” (gay man, age 25)
“There may be sectors where it‟s more acceptable and therefore attracts LGB
people... In terms of fine art…maybe it has [had an impact] in the sense that the
art world is really accepting of difference... someone can be crazier, more
experimental because it‟s about pushing boundaries and being controversial.”
(bisexual woman, age 28)
28
Interviewees perceived the voluntary sector positively; this was mainly due to the
perception that it places more priority on equality issues and as having more
inclusive working environments.
It is important to note however that within any sector there are differences between
organisations and consequently in the experiences of LGB people, this is an
important issue when making comparisons between employment sectors.
Improving perceptions
Research shows that some LGB people actively assess whether a prospective
employer has an inclusive working environment during the recruitment process, and
that some would walk away from a job offer if they felt “unable to be themselves” in
the organisation.30 This finding is supported by interviewees who made suggestions
that in order to deal with negative attitudes as well as internal personal factors such
as confidence and professionalism, visible action from the employers – such as
having a strong approach to anti-bullying and an open, welcoming recruitment
strategy – was equally important. Wider research supports this by highlighting that
LGB people value certain things in a prospective employer, such as having a good
record on equality and diversity, being „sympathetic to LGB issues‟ or having high
profile LGB leaders.31
Early perceptions of sectors are likely to be different to perceptions in later life – often
influenced by actual experiences within jobs but also of experiences of friends and
peers and reports in the media. Equally, early perceptions may be corroborated by
later experiences. Such issues are discussed in the following section.
LGB role models
The importance of positive role models was highlighted by a number of individuals. A
number of interviewees over the age of 30 felt that if they‟d been more role models
both in the public eye and also in their community they would have had more
confidence to pursue their aspirations. One interviewee spoke of the positive impact
a role model at school had on her early career choices:
“My art teacher in high school was gay. It might have had an impact on my
interest in fine art – the acceptance of alternative lifestyles – maybe better in the
artistic community.” (bisexual woman, age 28)
Younger interviewees supported this, and noted that because there are more „visible‟
people in the public eye nowadays, societal attitudes are improving and they feel
more confident that they can pursue whatever it is that they want to pursue. Even if
that is not the same career as the role model, it gives them confidence to not allow
their sexual orientation to be a barrier to achieving their aspirations.
30
Guasp, A; Balfour, J, (2009) „Peak Performance: Gay People and Productivity‟ Stonewall.
31
Williams, Dr M L; Robinson, Dr A L (2007) „Counted In: A report for Stonewall Cymru and the Welsh
Assembly Government SME Equality Project‟ Stonewall Cymru and the Welsh Assembly Government
SME Equality Project
29
Experiences of accessing careers services
The research asked participants to reflect on their experiences of accessing support,
advice or guidance from careers services during the early stages of their career
management process. The majority of interviewees had, at some point accessed
advice or guidance in school, college, and/or university.
A large proportion of the interviewees – both those with direct experience of such
services and those who were answering based on their perception – felt that the
careers advice and guidance available to them is not as „useful‟ as it could be. Some
interviewees felt that the advice given did not provide them with enough detail in
order to make informed decisions, rarely meeting their perceived needs or adding
value to their own personal approach through the use of internet searches and
discussions with peers, family and friends and wider networks. Interviewees that had
accessed careers advice or guidance [in person] commented that:
“[I accessed careers advice at} high school – I don‟t think I found it that useful at
the time, it just fed back to me stuff I already knew about myself…at university –
again, it wasn‟t [that useful] (gay man, age 23)
“I went to the careers advice centre [at university] …the experience wasn‟t really
that positive – the variety and depth wasn‟t there – the understanding and
knowledge wasn‟t there as well… (gay man, age 30)
Those who reported positive experiences of accessing advice and guidance spoke
about the value of services where the approach to support is personalised and
flexible:
“At […] they‟ve been brilliant, very supportive, when I came they recognised me, I
think it‟s part of the university ethos… […] had more interest in me whereas […]
seemed more clinical” (gay man, age 22)
Most interviewees had not been „visible‟ as lesbian, gay or bisexual when accessing
services and most did not see sexual orientation as relevant to such discussions.
However, when asked whether they feel their sexual orientation impacts upon their
experience as a customer, interviewees made more explicit links. The issue felt most
prevalently by interviewees, is the frequent assumption by service providers and
staff, that their customers are heterosexual. This assumption was a source of
discomfort for interviewees:
“It‟s always embarrassing to disclose [sexual orientation] where it‟s not typically
brought up, or where people assume you are straight…it‟s an added element of
discomfort potentially” (lesbian woman, age 35)
“Not making the assumption that someone sitting in front of you is straight [is very
important]... most people do” (queer woman, age 29)
“Whenever you seek support, there is always the assumption that you‟re
heterosexual” (lesbian woman, age 42)
Interviewees also suggest that use of services and interactions between LGB customers and
careers advisors may be negatively impacted upon by poor experiences with other service
providers and by previous experience of invisibility, inequality or discrimination. Related to
30
32
this issue is the concept of „opting out‟. OPM‟s research for the GEO highlighted that LGB
people very consciously make the choice to „opt out‟ of certain activities, situations and
services because of a real experience of, or fear of, discrimination, prejudice and rejection
because of their sexual orientation. This is compounded by a fear that if they do suffer
discrimination or harassment, relevant authorities or other members of the public would not
intervene or support them.
Summary of findings on early career choices
A: Personal preferences

Factors such as personal likes, dislikes and interests are often perceived or
considered to be the main influence on initial choices and decisions for LGB
people.

Although secondary evidence suggests that sexual orientation forms part of an
individuals‟ preferences, few interviewees initially felt that being LGB had a direct
impact on their early career choices. However reflection through the interviews
often made LGB people more conscious that their sexual orientation had
impacted on decisions in more indirect ways.
B: Personal experiences:

Experiences at home: Evidence shows experiences at home including the
influence of family, friends and local community can impact on LGB career
choices. In particular, experiences of homophobia or not being able to „come out‟
can impact on self confidence and ultimately affect career decisions.

Experiences at school: Being unable to be „visible at school due to experiences
of homophobic bullying (and fears around this) has been shown to affect some
LGB people‟s career decisions and academic performance. Evidence suggests
that early educational experiences do impact on a person‟s career trajectory.

Experiences in further and higher education: Primary data shows that for
many LGB people experiences at University are comparatively positive to
experiences at school, particularly in terms of the opportunity to meet other LGB
people and to live away from home.
Exposure to LGB culture: Opportunities to become part of wider LGB
communities can have an impact on early career choices by aiding
„self-awareness‟ and enforcing an LGB persons‟ motivations towards
certain causes. However, LGB communities can potentially reinforce
stereotypes about what LGB are „expected‟ to do.

Early experiences of stereotypes: Evidence shows that stereotypes around
sexual orientation can impact on an LGB person‟s early career choices, for
32
OPM (2010), Experiences of and barriers to participation in public and political life for Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Trans people, Government Equalities Office
31
example the assumption that LGB people should choose arts subjects instead of
science subjects. Stereotypes around gender are also likely to have a
compounded effect on LGB people.
C: External environment

Early perceptions of employment sectors: LGB people may feel a “pull”
towards certain sectors perceived to be more „LGB-friendly‟, and to those
industries perceived as being more liberal and inclusive. Similarly, some LGB
people may consciously avoid sectors that are perceived to be more likely to have
a homophobic environment.

LGB role models: Positive role models can have an impact on LGB career
choices, giving individuals more confidence to pursue their aspirations.

Experiences of accessing careers services: LGB experiences of accessing
early careers support were often felt not to be very useful: advice was felt to be
too general and not specific to individual needs. Those LGB people with positive
experiences of accessing careers advice reported that flexible and „personalised‟
approaches work well.
In addition:

Many confessed to a lack of self confidence leading to certain decisions – such
as wanting to pursue a certain career because your parents want you to, or a
subject because it was studied by siblings, or more generally just „wanting to
please‟ because as a young person there is a perception that you are „letting your
family down‟ by being LGB.
32
3.2
Career Progression
The way in which an individual moves through a career pathway or progresses in
employment is a complex and highly personalised process. Similar to early decision
making there are numerous factors a person will take into account when shaping
their career. These are:

Personal preferences: whilst recognising that personal experiences will have
contributed to shaping and influencing decisions most significantly, the internal
preferences, feelings, motivations etc. that an individual has will also impact upon
their career progression. The relationship between experience and perception will
therefore be cyclical as experiences help to shape a person‟s preferences, as well
as their perceptions.

Personal experiences: at this stage of the journey personal experiences are
likely to have a bigger impact on a person‟s career progression and pathway,
compared to when making early career choices. What happens to a person in
employment will impact upon their decisions and consequently on further
personal experiences.

External environment: these are distinct from (but can have an impact on) a
person‟s personal experiences in that they form part of a wider context affecting
all people to some extent by defining the social world they are acting within.
The balance of these factors and how they may affect an individual‟s career
development shift over time. People want to have varying experiences, live in
different places and undertake different roles depending on the stage they are at
within their career and where their personal „journey‟ takes them.
In this section we discuss to what extent being LGB can affect the opportunities to be
promoted and to develop professionally with reference to each of these factors.
Personal preferences
As discussed in section 3.1, factors relating to personal preferences are always going
to have an impact on a person‟s career path and experiences within employment.
The way in which an individual feels, thinks and behaves will undoubtedly have an
impact on the choices they make (and that are available) throughout their career and
on the actions they take in relation to these choices.
These actions and choices will then result in different personal experiences, which
consequently will have a knock-on effect on an individual‟s internal preferences and
personal traits. In this sense it is a cyclical process, where factors relating to personal
preferences have an impact on life experience, and these experiences in turn affect a
person‟s thoughts, feelings and future experiences.
Evidence shows that when moving through a career path, LGB people are affected
by personal preferences in the same way as non-LGB people. It is also evident that
some, but not all, of the factors associated with personal preferences are the same
as those affecting LGB people when making early career choices.
Our interviews showed that the key factors associated with personal preferences in
relation to career progression are:
33
– Motivation: the direction a person wants their career to take in line with
certain goals (for example the motivation to make money or serve a social
cause)
– Level of ambition: the value a person places on career progression
– Interests: the type of work or career a person enjoys and therefore is driven
to pursue
– Relationships: the way in which a person relates to those close to them, and
the influence of these people
– Location; where you feel able to work (this is discussed in a sub-section
below)
However, the major difference concerning the impact of these factors at this later
stage in the journey (compared to on early career choices) is that these factors are
more likely to be shaped by direct experience. For example, a person‟s motivation to
work on the charitable sector may be shaped by their experiences of working in a
different sector.
The impact of sexual orientation on these personal preferences is not clear-cut.
Secondary evidence shows that in some cases LGB people may be more likely to
hold particular personal views or values in relation to employment. For example
some research shows that lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to have clear
expectations about the support desired from an employer33. In contrast, evidence
from our interviews shows that some LGB people do not feel that their sexual
orientation has had a significant impact on their personal or internal dispositions.
Often, this finding was accompanied by a reference to other factors, notably
economic ones, taking precedence over issues related to being LGB.
“I need a job and I need money” is a bigger issue – sexual orientation is way
down the list.” (lesbian woman, age 24)
“[My sexual orientation] has not really had an influence on my career
progression.” (bisexual man, age 38)
“It‟s been more the lack of jobs in the market rather than my sexual orientation. I
don‟t think so, you get some homophobia in the workplace, but I don‟t think
there‟s anything in particular that could hinder [career] progression.” (gay man,
age 23)
Some primary evidence also shows that the perceived impact of sexual orientation
may be insignificant in relation to other personal factors such as having a strong
„work ethic‟. As one gay interviewee said, “The key to career progression is delivering
good outcomes and hard work, so in a sense it‟s nothing to do with sexuality”.
However, despite these views, a deeper analysis shows that for some LGB people
although their sexual orientation may not be the main factor influencing their personal
33
Miles, N, (2009) „The double-glazed glass ceiling: lesbians in the workplace‟ Stonewall.
34
preferences and career pathway, it is nevertheless an integral part of their identity
that forms as much a part of their decision-making processes as any other element.
Furthermore, evidence showing that personal preferences are more affected by
direct experiences further on in a person‟s career path may indicate that if a person
has experiences in the workplace related to their sexual orientation, there could be a
consequent impact on their internal preferences, motivations and interests.
Location (where an LGB person works)
Of the factors associated with personal preference discussed, geographical location
emerged particularly strongly as an aspect that is likely to be impacted upon by
sexual orientation. In addition to the ways in which it can influence early career
choices, as discussed in the previous section, location often seems to matter when
LGB individuals make the transition from education to employment, and particularly
in terms of how LGB people feel about working in certain locations. Specifically,
according to a number of participants, there are marked contrasts between urban
and rural areas of Scotland.
“It probably limits where you would go in terms of location, you would be less
likely to work in a rural area, so I think it would limit you geographically. I have
always chosen to work in an urban location.” (lesbian woman, age 42)
“There is a general pull to the big cities – there is more of a community there and
less of the small town mentality.” (bisexual man, age 38)
“You always move away from rural places… Sometimes it‟s just not safe to be
there!” (lesbian woman, age 35)
These findings correlate with secondary evidence which shows that LGB people
have more difficult experiences in employment if working in rural areas, and
particularly in the Highlands and Islands34.
It is clear from our data that for many LGB people in Scotland the prospect of
following a career path in a rural location is unappealing. In fact, very few individuals
currently based in rural Scotland took part in our study, which suggests that there
may be substantial under-representation of LGB people in rural areas; this again is
supported by secondary evidence which shows that LGB people are often motivated
to migrate away from rural areas, or even out of Scotland all together, because of
perceived hostility and homophobia.35
However at times it can be difficult for LGB people to avoid moving to rural areas, for
example if their job requires being based in the countryside. This means they may be
forced to turn down certain career opportunities. In one interview, a lesbian working
as a veterinary scientist suggested that her sexual orientation had narrowed her
career options:
34
The Scottish Government, (2008) „Challenging prejudice: changing attitudes towards lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people in Scotland. Recommendations of the LGBT Hearts and Minds
Agenda Group‟ Scottish Government.
35
Ibid.
35
“You‟ve got a double problem being a lesbian in the veterinary profession. If you
want to work with large animals, you would need to do rural areas. And a lot of
lesbian women wouldn‟t do that because [doing this kind of job] you work closely
with the local community – it would be difficult to do this work as a lesbian
woman… [Although] in some city areas you could also experience those
problems.” (lesbian woman, age 42)
Further evidence from the interviews shows that similar issues can also apply in
small towns, suburbia and certain within-city locations, usually ones with high levels
of socio-economic deprivation.
Apart from conscious avoidance of certain, especially rural, areas, the personal
preference to live in urban locations can be additionally triggered by the “LGB
infrastructure” that larger cities offer. This includes the so-called “gay scene” where it
is easy to meet other members of the LGB community. It seems that this social
aspect is very important to many non-heterosexual people in Scotland.
“In terms of area, I‟d always prefer to live in a city, I never wanted to live
anywhere rural, the option not to have a gay bar, for example, is not something
that appeals to me.” (gay man, age 25)
Cities differ, however, in terms of the patterns and visibility of their LGB populations,
which can at times encourage non-heterosexual people to move away from Scotland.
For example, a gay man in his early 30s had moved at some point to Manchester. “I
knew it had the gay scene”, he said, “and it was something I wanted to be part of and
belong to”. He made a similar move to Brighton a few years later. In this case, his
sexual orientation seems to have constituted a major impact on his decision. “The
reason for moving to Brighton was because of the LGBT community rather than the
fact that it was offering you a career.”
Generally, interviewees seemed to have recognised that some cities in the UK have
a more attractive “gay scene” than cities in Scotland, but overall Edinburgh and
Glasgow were seen as relatively LGB-friendly.
“It‟s not London or Manchester, the scene is still mute in many respects – you
have pride etc., but it‟s much smaller, I think it‟s very different. But it‟s not that
bad.” (lesbian woman, age 35)
“In Edinburgh, I haven‟t really noticed any differences. It doesn‟t have a big gay
community, but everyone is very tolerant and accepting.” (gay man, age 30)
There were mixed opinions about “LGB-friendliness” of Scotland in general and they
tended to link to the aforementioned distinction between urban and rural areas. The
differences in perceptions of Scotland as a country also seemed to depend on
interviewees‟ experiences of specific working environments as well as their
experiences of diversity in other countries.
One further finding in relation to geographical location and employment-related
decisions seems to be whether an LGB person has a partner. Sometimes moving
with a partner can make the dislocation easier thanks to the support that being in a
relationship often gives. However, it can also expose a same-sex couple to greater
attention from local communities since they become more visible as LGB than they
would be as individuals. Additional considerations come into play when moving
36
abroad is concerned, especially when legal differences in recognising same-sex
relationships become an issue.
“[There have been] some choices I couldn‟t make, because my partner wouldn‟t
go through the emigration processes. Also, often in academia, when a university
really wants someone, they try to arrange their husband‟s or wife‟s job as well. I
don‟t think they‟re equally willing to do that if you‟re LGB.” (lesbian woman, age
42)
“My partner and I made the decision to move abroad together. We went to
Switzerland as she is part German. We wanted to go somewhere new and we
didn‟t want to go to Austria as it‟s quite right wing, not as tolerant. So it had a big
impact in that way.” (lesbian woman, age 24)
Personal experiences
Evidence shows that factors associated with LGB people‟s personal experiences are
likely to have a notable impact on their career pathways and progression. Once an
LGB individual has started out in employment they will naturally be affected by the
events and circumstances around them. Although this process is not unique to LGB
individuals, what is significant is the way in which a person‟s sexual orientation can
affect their experiences and career „journey‟ once they enter employment.
Exposure to sexual orientation stereotypes and homophobic ‘banter’
As discussed in section 3.1, evidence from both the literature and interviews shows
that stereotyping around sexual orientation can have a strong impact on the
education and employment of LGB people. These stereotypes do not just impact
upon an LGB person‟s career choices, but on their career progression and pathway
through employment.
Stereotypes in the workplace often concern the presentation of sexual orientation, or
the way in which an LGB person is expected to behave. Interviewees referred to
experiences of colleagues making assumptions about their interests based on their
sexual orientation, for example one gay interviewee had colleagues talk to him about
fashion and interior design, assuming he would be interested:
“They [colleagues] say “oh there‟s a new shop that‟s opened up, you‟ll love it” –
assume I‟ll like internal furnishings - I don‟t!” (gay man, age 38)
Other interviewees reported having negative stereotypes about LGB people
communicated by colleagues through office „banter‟ or jokes. Examples include
stereotypes of gay men being promiscuous or sexually uninhibited, for example when
one interviewee was due to go on a business trip, a colleague made a comment
about him having “a boy in every port”.
These stereotypes can impact on the way in which LGB people interact with
colleagues, as in the examples above, and even on the job role or responsibilities an
LGB person is given in their career. In one interview this point was exemplified with
reference to veterinary training, within which larger animals are associated with
masculinity. As such, because of the stereotype that gay men are more feminine, it
may be assumed that a gay man will want to work with smaller animals or pets
37
instead. This represents a broader finding around the intersection between sexual
orientation and gender, which is discussed below.
Sexual orientation stereotypes do not always have a negative impact and in some
cases interviewees reported that they worked in their favour; for example one gay
man reported that his sexual orientation had made him popular with the straight
women at his work, who wanted to have a „gay friend‟. The interviewee claimed that
this worked to his advantage, but also that it put him under pressure to meet their
expectations and to avoid „disappointing‟ his colleagues.
“All the office girls instantly want to be your friend – they have an expectation of
what a „gay man‟ is – expectation that you‟re funny and well dressed – all the
stereotypes, you feel like you‟re working to other peoples‟ stereotypes and
expectations a lot rather than being you.” (gay man, age 30)
The interviews also found that some LGB people have experienced stereotypes
coming from within the LGB community itself or from „LGB-friendly‟ organisations. For
example, the idea that LGB people are, or should be, politically active and campaign
for equality was suggested by one interviewee to be a stereotype reinforced by some
LGBT organisations.
“Stereotypes can work on both sides…the gay community sometimes can
perceive that because you‟re gay you should be political and stand up for the
rights of gay people.” (gay man, age 30)
Similarly there was evidence that LGB organisations may have views about what
political stance LGB people should take; specifically that they should be more „leftwing‟ due to the history of inequalities around sexual orientation in Scotland (and the
UK more broadly). One interviewee had experienced being discriminated against
both by LGB and non-LGB people because of sympathising with the Conservative
Party („Tories‟).
“When they find I‟m a Tory that‟s the biggest stumbling block for me – seriously
that‟s been my biggest discrimination – much more than anything else – it‟s been
the hardest „coming out‟ for me”. (gay man, age 30)
This builds on the findings presented in section 3.1 about the mixed impact that
exposure to LGB culture can have on career choices, and evidently on career
experiences.
‘Double discrimination’: inter-sectionality between gender and sexual
orientation
Evidence around sexual orientation stereotyping shows that it can have a notably
different impact within the LGB communities because of the way in which it coincides
with issues around gender. Many interviewees (both male and female) held the
perception that being a woman holds additional challenges in employment, and that
lesbians and bisexual women therefore have very different experiences to gay or
bisexual men.
Sexism in the workplace was felt to be a pervasive issue, and interviewees perceived
barriers to women in terms of career progression, evidenced by the overall lack of
38
women in senior positions compared to men, as well as career choices, with some
sectors being perceived as „closed‟ or unwelcoming for women.
These barriers are compounded for lesbian and bisexual women because of the
interplay between gender and sexual orientation. For some interviewees their sexual
orientation was felt to be a „double barrier‟, with discrimination being experienced in
relation to both issues.
“It‟s not always clean cut whether it‟s a gender discrimination issue or an LGBT
issue…sometimes it‟s the interplay between the two” (lesbian woman, age 35)
In addition to this, it was reported that lesbians can feel excluded from debates
around gender equality because of the stereotypical role of women embodied in such
debates; one interviewee felt that the discourse of women‟s rights can contain very
specific ideas about gender that do not necessarily take account of sexual
orientation:
“Lesbian women‟s voices are missing from LGBT and gender debates because
when you‟re looking at gender equality it‟s framed very much around the heteronormative relationship – so when people are thinking about the experiences of
women they‟re thinking about them in the context of being in a relationship with a
man” (lesbian woman, age 35)
Some interviewees had also experienced these inequalities around gender within the
LGB communities; for example a few lesbians had negative experiences of working
for LGBT organisations, in which they had found it hard to have a „voice‟ due a predominantly gay male culture.
“My feminist voice was being lost amongst all the blokes [in the LGBT
organisation] so I knew I wanted to move on.” (lesbian woman, age 35)
Also, some further evidence shows that for lesbian and bisexual women, interacting
with colleagues at work may be affected by their sexual orientation and gender.
Research from the evidence review found that some LB women feel that
stereotypical gender roles and modes of communication between men and women in
the workplace are uncomfortable.36
Gender has also been shown to have an impact on the experiences of gay men in
the workplace because of the existence, in many areas of work, of masculine
stereotypes and a „macho‟ culture. Gay interviewees reported being exposed to
homophobic comments and „banter‟ in the workplace more often than lesbian or
bisexual interviewees, and secondary evidence shows that gay men often feel
excluded and unable to „be themselves‟ when working in environments dominated by
heterosexual males37. For example one study into London bankers found that a
hetero-dominant culture made LGB workers disadvantaged and less accepted at
work38.
36
Miles, N, (2009) „The double-glazed glass ceiling: lesbians in the workplace‟ Stonewall.
37
Guasp, A; Balfour, J, (2009) „Peak Performance: Gay People and Productivity‟ Stonewall.
38
Ryan-Flood, R (2004) „Beyond Recognition and Redistribution: A case study of lesbian and gay
workers in a local labour market in Britain‟ Gender Institute.
39
Conversely in a few instances primary data shows that sexual orientation and gender
stereotypes can prove advantageous in terms of career progression, specifically for
lesbian women. Interviewees reported that their sexual orientation could have an
impact on promotion because of an assumption that lesbian women will not have
children; an employer might be more inclined to promote a lesbian because of the
assumption they may be able to commit to the job longer-term.
However this was simultaneously felt to be perpetuating underlying negative
stereotypes around gender and sexual orientation; that straight women are less
economically viable because they are likely to leave work to have children, as well as
a stereotype that lesbians are unlikely to want a family.
“For many employers not having children is a positive thing. The myths around
the costs of maternity and the burden put employers in a position where they don‟t
want to hire [women] - but if you‟re out as a lesbian there is the assumption that
you won‟t have children.” (lesbian woman, 30)
Impact of stereotypes:
It is important to note that the way in which LGB interviewees felt about stereotypes
experienced in education and employment varied. Whilst some individuals felt the
stereotypes had a negative impact on them, others did not:
“I find them quite funny – sometimes I like to play on them just to shock people.”
(gay man, age 38)
One factor that is likely to have an impact on the way in which an LGB person feels
about sexual orientation stereotypes is the context; and most notably how formal or
informal the situation is. Individual differences mean that attitudes towards the
workplace and ideas about professionalism vary across the LGB communities; whilst
some individuals may experience office banter as homophobic and offensive, another
individual could potentially find it to be harmless or even amusing. This was an
important area of difference across all interviewees.
Experiences of discrimination
Another key form of personal experience that has an impact on LGB people‟s career
pathways and progression is discrimination. Secondary research suggests that
LGB people experience various forms of discrimination that impact on career
prospects, including: not receiving the same concessions as heterosexual
employees, not being appointed to a job due to their sexual orientation, being
dismissed due to their sexual orientation, and being disciplined at work due to their
sexual orientation.39
Experiences of these forms of discrimination or harassment could influence LGB
decisions to avoid promotion or stay within certain parts of an organisation – thereby
39
Williams, Dr M L; Robinson, Dr A L (2007) „Counted In: A report for Stonewall Cymru and the Welsh
Assembly Government SME Equality Project‟ Stonewall Cymru and the Welsh Assembly Government
SME Equality Project
40
restricting employment options.40 A number of interviewees identified moments in
their careers when they believed their progression was hindered due to their sexual
orientation.
“I moved to [a company] where I had a very direct episode where the senior
manager who I worked for was perfectly fine with me, and then someone told him
I was gay, and he was…prejudice, he was very homophobic. It ended with me
feeling the only option was to resign. That was important; it really affected me
socially and financially.” (gay man, age 40)
Further evidence shows that LGB people that do make a complaint about
discrimination in the workplace often have little faith in the internal complaints
procedures, and believe that they will be disciplined or demoted until they feel they
have no option but to resign. This shows the importance of legal protection for LGB
people.41
Experiences of working in different sectors
The personal experiences of LGB people during their career pathways will vary
according to the sector and role they are working within. Building on the findings
relating to early career choices, there is evidence from LGB people‟s experiences to
suggest that it may be easier for LGB people to work in some sectors than others.
However, our sample is too small to provide any definitive findings.
As mentioned in section 3.1, a major distinction made both within primary and
secondary evidence is between public and private sector roles. Research shows that
compared to the private sector, the public sector is „best‟ for LGB people, particularly
in hiring, promotional and disciplinary practice.42 Data from our interviews supports
this. Interviewees frequently reported that working in the public sector had resulted in
more positive experiences due to a high commitment to equal opportunities:
“I wasn‟t „out‟ in employment – I didn‟t get a feel that the legal profession was
particularly open minded – I was more open about things when I was applying to
the public sector, they had equal opportunities policies, it was less of a prejudice
culture” (bisexual man, age 38)
Experiences of visibility
Primary and secondary data shows that decisions around visibility in the workplace
can have a direct impact on LGB peoples‟ experiences both externally, for example
on their relationships with colleagues, and internally, on levels of self-confidence or
extent to which they feel comfortable at work. Consequently this then can impact
upon the way in which an LGB person moves through their career pathway.
40
Mitchell, M; Howarth, C; Kotecha, M; Creegan, C, (2009) „Sexual Orientation Research Review
2008‟ Equality and Human Rights Commission.
41
McLean, C; O‟Connor, W, (2003) „Social Justice Sexual Orientation Research Phase 2…‟
42
Williams, Dr M L; Robinson, Dr A L (2007) „Counted In: A report for Stonewall Cymru…‟
41
The findings from the evidence review indicate that many LGB people perceive
“risks” associated with being visible, primarily in how their colleagues may react and
in how it may affect their chances of promotion43. Repeated studies have shown that
a significant proportion of LGB employees fear experiencing negative consequences
if open about their sexuality at work, including limits to their career progression, and
as such will often choose to remain closeted at some point in their career.44
Reports from interviewees echo these findings and show that the perceived risks
associated with being visible are linked to factors such as the type of work or sector
(with the public sector being perceived as more „accepting‟ of visible LGB people),
the support available within an organisation (and from the management), and the
length of time in post, for example not wanting to „come out‟ early on a job because
of a desire to “make a good impression” and not being visible in short-term positions.
This indicates that the level of commitment to, or investment in, a job can have an
impact on whether an LGB person becomes visible.
Another major factor affecting an individual‟s decision around disclosure is the way in
which they may present their sexual orientation in terms of appearance and
behaviours. The degree to which an individual “looks” stereotypically LG or B will
have an impact on their experiences around visibility. This was felt to be a particular
issue affecting some people more than others. For interviewees that appeared less
stereotypically LG or B „coming out‟ had to be more of a conscious decision.
For example this was felt to be a particular issue for bisexual people, who may find it
harder to disclose if they are not in a relationship with someone of the same gender.
It was also an issue raised by a gay man who looked „masculine‟, because straight
female colleagues had approached him, assuming he was straight. In this case
„coming out‟ would then involve exposure to comments from colleagues.
There were differences between the views of interviewees as to whether „looking‟
less stereotypically LG or B would make experiences easier or harder. Some
interviewees believed that having more choice over whether to disclose (or more
easily being able to hide sexual orientation) meant that some people had better
experiences in the workplace.
This idea was often applied to bisexuality, which some interviewees perceived as
more easily “hidden” than homosexuality. However other interviewees felt that
coming out as bisexual could be much harder because of widespread
misconceptions and assumptions about bisexuality, present both within and outside
of the LGB communities. A few interviewees felt that bisexual interviewees face
biphobia because they are not seen as „gay enough‟.
“My last job was a very LGBT friendly environment with significant numbers of
lesbians and gay men involved, but sometimes I felt in banter with colleagues,
that I didn‟t qualify as „queer enough‟” (bisexual woman, age 33)
43
Hall, N; Panton, D, (2009) Improving the Region's Knowledge Base on the LGB&T population in the
North West: Report to the NWRDA and partners‟ ECOTEC.
44
Ryan-Flood, R (2004) „Beyond Recognition and Redistribution…‟
42
Impact of visibility or invisibility
All of these factors contribute to the level of risk perceived, or the fears an LGB
person might hold, in relation to being „out‟ in employment. Evidence shows that
many LGB people are concerned about the impact that visibility may have on their
careers in terms of experiencing discrimination in the workplace.
These fears can result in an ongoing situation. For some interviewees „coming out‟ at
work was felt to be a constant process depending on the people around them and
other contextual factors. They reported censoring elements of their personal lives in
certain conversations and feeling pressured to “play it safe” by not sharing too much
with colleagues:
“You get used to being guarded about the things –the pronoun game – who you
were out with, what you got up to. The various discussions of your private life that
can get a bit awkward” (bisexual man, age 38)
These findings are supported by secondary evidence, which shows that this
„censoring‟ process can have a negative impact on career progression for LGB
people. LGB people may not perform to the best of their ability at work due to having
to continually „edit‟ their life experiences and withdraw from the social validation that
work provides.45
If an LGB person does decide to be visible at work, the consequences that have
been experienced include exposure to homophobic „banter‟ or comments from
colleagues, as well as discrimination. However evidence also shows that experiences
of being „invisible‟ can have a negative consequence on LGB people‟s careers;
interviewees explained that not consciously talking about their sexual orientation
could have an impact on their relationships with colleagues and on their feelings
internally. One interviewee felt that a decision not to come out would follow an LGB
person through their career, making it very hard for them to be visible at a later stage
because of a fear of being perceived as dishonest.
“The inability to come out and be you of course has had an impact on how I have
developed as a person and therefore on how my career has developed” (lesbian
woman, age 35)
“I have one friend who can‟t come out to work mates – she‟s been with a partner
for 8 years but now lied for so long that she can‟t get past that – dug her own
hole. It will affect her progression; she feels if she wants a reference they‟ll know
she lied.” (lesbian woman, age 24)
This finding is supported by secondary evidence, which shows that choosing not to
disclose can result in reduced levels of confidence at work and can act as a barrier to
building important relationships with colleagues and clients.46
Finally, evidence shows that some LGB people have experienced pressures around
visibility at work that can impact on career progression. For example, one interviewee
45
The Scottish Government, (2008) „Challenging prejudice: changing attitudes…‟
46
Guasp, A; Balfour, J, (2009) „Peak Performance‟…
43
felt that in order to progress it was necessary to „smarten up‟ and consequently to
reduce their self-expression as a lesbian woman.
“The way I choose to present myself is I look like a lesbian – short hair, trousers,
never skirts – that is very much who I am. I have had to consider recently that if I
want to be taken seriously in a more serious management role I‟d have to
smarten up… that‟s a compromise for me because it‟s not really as full of
expression as I feel.” (lesbian woman, age 35)
This reflects a wider issue about the expectations employers have and how that
might relate to the way in which some LGB people choose to present their identity.
Longer-term impacts of personal experiences
Another significant part of the way in which personal experiences affect career
progression is in how experiences impact over time. Evidence from the interviews
shows that experiences in early life and relating to early career choices can have
subsequent ongoing effects throughout a person‟s professional life.
One example of this is educational attainment. If an LGB person under-achieves at
school or university due to experiences relating to their sexual orientation (such as
being subjected to homophobic bullying) that experience will then have a knock on
effect throughout their career on the opportunities available to them, and on how they
progress. For example, one interviewee suffered from homophonic bullying which
affected her academic performance and, ultimately, resulted in problems with
obtaining references from the placements she had completed during her course.
Another interviewee openly acknowledged the impact that not coming out at school
had on her career path:
“If I‟d come out at school I think I‟d be sitting here in a different career.” (lesbian
woman, age 35)
There is an ongoing link between early experiences at school and university and the
impact it has on longer term career progression in terms of opportunities and on
individuals‟ ability to follow a desired career path.
Level of support within an organisation
The final factor affecting personal experiences and career pathways is the level of
support available for LGB people within the organisations they are employed within.
Our interviews found that for many LGB people, having support from their managers
and colleagues was important for ensuring they were able to progress and flourish in
the workplace. A few interviewees mentioned the importance of employers
recognising the value of good practice around equality and diversity and how this
increases LGB individuals‟ ability to move forward in their career.
The importance of being in a work environment with good training, a decent Equality
and Diversity policy and access to LGBT networks was raised in relation to this point,
44
and this is supported by secondary research which shows LGB people value
employers that have a good record on equality issues.47
External environment
Societal attitudes and legislative changes
The impact of societal attitudes as a wider factor affecting LGB career progression
was highlighted in both the primary and secondary research. Most evident, is the
impact that changing legislation has had for LGB equality in Scotland over the last 30
years (see context section for full outline of changes). As outlined in the context
section of this report, one of the key moments affecting LGB people in employment
was the introduction of the Employment Equality Regulations (amendments
concerning sexual orientation) in 2003.
This legislation made it impossible for employers to discriminate against LGB
employees, and our interview data suggests that this has had a notable impact,
especially for those interviewees aged over 31.
Interviewees reported that they felt there had been improvements in the attitudes to
LGB people in wider society as a result of this legislative progress, and that this
formed part of a continuing trend towards increased equality in society. Several
interviewees commented that they felt it is “easier now than ever before” for LGB
people to pursue a desired career path and that awareness was being raised across
Scotland of LGB rights.
These comments are supported by evidence from the Scottish Social Attitudes
Survey, which reported trends showing a decrease in levels of discriminatory
attitudes towards LGB people in Scotland over the past few years.48
LGB role models
The findings from the interviews also show that LGB role models have an impact on
the career experiences of LGB individuals. Specifically, the absence of role models
could impact on experiences of career progression because it could mean that
successful LGB people could feel isolated, as one interviewee stated:
“Being successful - your sexuality [can be a burden] e.g. if you‟re the only gay
person in the village or workplace … you may not be the only LGB person but just
the only LGB person people know... there is an issue of visibility … I could
definitely not name 100 successful lesbians.” (lesbian woman, age 22)
However, other interviewees felt that visibility for LGB people in employment was
becoming easier and that there has been a rise in the number of LGB role models (if
not in Scotland, than in the UK more broadly) in the last 10 years, making career
progression seem much more attainable.
47
Williams, Dr M L; Robinson, Dr A L (2007) „Counted In: A report for Stonewall‟…
48
The Scottish Government, (2008) „Challenging prejudice: changing attitudes…‟
45
“There is a wider acceptance of gay people now so you don‟t feel so exposed if
you disclose your sexuality.” (gay man, age 30)
This is an important way in which the external environment, and changes in it, can be
seen to impact on LGB people‟s career pathways.
Experiences of accessing careers advice
The research asked participants to reflect on their experiences of accessing support,
advice or guidance from careers services during the development of their careers.
A minority of the participants had accessed some form of advice or guidance via
organisations like Careers Scotland following entry into the workplace.
Similar reflections to those made about advice and guidance for early career choices
were made (see previous section). A key additional finding here however is that the
image of careers advice and guidance seems to be that it is aimed at 16 – 24 year
olds. It was felt that there needs to be more recognition that few people have a „job
for life‟ and as a result there is an increased likelihood for individuals to change
career path in later life. Support therefore needs to be accessible to all ages. It was
felt that at present current provision is targeted more at younger people as opposed
to those aged over 30 years old; and more support is needed for those who are
considering a career change at a later stage and who have qualifications and varied
work experience on which to draw on to help make those decisions.
One interviewee talked of a „missing link‟ between the education and training aspects
of personal career management, and the information on where and how to find the
entry level job and then successfully navigate an on-going career path. In other
words, beyond the professions (e.g. lawyer, accountant etc) there is limited
information available on what certain education and training options actually lead to
in the job market, and where those jobs can be found once a qualification has been
gained (i.e. what sectors etc). The potential implications of this for LGB people is that
they may chose a programme of education or training not fully understanding the
sector in which they will eventually be employed in – therefore finding themselves in
a position in which they do not feel comfortable being employed in the environment
for which they are qualified as a result of their sexual orientation.
Summary of findings on career progression
A: Personal preferences

The main „internal‟ factors influencing an LGB person‟s experiences in their
career are the same as those influencing their early choices. Motivations, level of
ambition, interests and location (where they want to work) all have an impact for
different individuals. Location is particularly affected by sexual orientation; for
LGB people in Scotland there can be negative experiences associated with rural
areas.

As a person progresses through their career these personal preferences are more
affected by their life experiences. Over time, preferences therefore shape, and
respond to, experiences in a cyclical process.
46
B: Personal experiences

Exposure to sexual orientation stereotypes and homophobia: Stereotypes
can impact on the way in which an LGB person is treated by colleagues, for
example in how they are expected to behave, although sexual orientation
stereotypes may not always have a negative impact.

Double discrimination – gender and sexual orientation: Stereotypes around
gender can impact on LGB people‟s career experiences and progression. This is
particularly for LB women, who may experience „double discrimination‟ in being
both female and non-heterosexual.

Experiences of discrimination: LGB people experience various forms of
discrimination that can impact on their career progression. Where discrimination
has occurred LGB people may be reluctant to make a complaint because of a fear
of the consequences.

Experiences of different sectors: As with early career choices, LGB people
associate more positive employment experiences with the public sector,
compared to the private sector. Sectors experienced positively and felt to be
„LGB-friendly‟ include academia (higher education and research) and the health
sector (NHS), whilst sectors experienced negatively include finance and banking
and education (primary and secondary teaching).

Visibility: Decisions about visibility can impact on LGB people‟s experiences at
work and career progression. These decisions are often based on the perceived
„risks‟ associated with being visible, for example the likelihood of experiencing
homophobia, as well as on contextual factors, such as the type of work, length of
time in post and whether there are support mechanisms within the organisation.
Experiences of being both „out‟ and „in‟ can have a negative impact on LGB
career progression.

Longer-term impact of experiences: Early personal experiences for LGB
people can have an ongoing impact on their career pathway, for example low
educational attainment can result in reduced opportunities later on in life.

Level of support: Having support from the management within an employer
organisation is valued by LGB people. Having a good equality and diversity
policy, training and LGBT networks can be important for ensuring that LGB
people are supported in their careers.
C: External factors

Societal attitudes and legislation will have an impact on LGB career
experiences. Generally interviewees reported that there have been significant
improvements in support for LGB people in Scotland over the past 30 years.

Having LGB role models can be a positive influence in terms of career
progression. Similarly, the absence of such role models could make successful
LGB people feel isolated.
47
3.3
Skills Development Scotland products and services
Researchers asked all interviewees about their awareness and experiences of Skills
Development Scotland and its products and services. Awareness was limited, with
most respondents having little or no specific understanding of the organisation or its
role.
“I‟d heard of them but probably couldn‟t tell you what they did.” (lesbian woman,
age 22)
“I don‟t know what it does.” (lesbian woman, age 35)
Where interviewees did have direct experience of using SDS products or services (in
the form of careers advice), it was felt that the service could be improved with a more
informal, conversational and personalised approach
OPM recognises that SDS is a new organisation and therefore a large proportion of
respondents are likely to have little or no experience of SDS as a provider, in
addition, not all respondents had had the need to access services provided by SDS.
Raising awareness: improving the public profile of SDS
Low levels of awareness about SDS and the availability in Scotland of careers
support, advice and guidance, led interviewees to suggest improvements to the way
SDS engages with its target audience and works with its partners and wider
stakeholders in order to promote the work that it does. Interviewees noted the need
for more awareness of the purpose and aims of Skills Development Scotland, the
range of services on offer and the stakeholder groups they work with.
“They could be more visible. I‟ve never heard of them, and don‟t know many that
have” (bisexual woman, age 24)
“I think it‟s more for younger people isn‟t it? There didn‟t seem to be much there to
help me when I was thinking about changing my career (bisexual man, age 56)
Greater use of the internet was suggested by a number of interviewees who cited the
internet as their main source of careers and skills advice and guidance. Also less
traditional sites for marketing careers services were suggested as potential avenues
for effective outreach to target audiences:
“If I was trying to find advice – I‟d look on the web – so if they‟re obvious to find,
I‟d go to them” (bisexual woman, age 38)
Other interviewees suggested SDS work closer with its partners and wider
stakeholders as a way of increasing their profile and raising stakeholders‟ awareness
“They should do networking with local groups to increase awareness…. that‟s
perhaps one way of doing it” (gay man, age 30)
Accessibility for LGB communities
It was also felt that the profile and use of SDS and its services amongst LGB
communities could be increased if SDS had a more prominent and visible positive
48
statement about the organisations‟ awareness of and commitment to equality and
diversity.
“It helps to show they are proactive and gay friendly (lesbian woman, age 24)
“We have an equality law [but it doesn‟t mean you are not going to experience
discrimination] I think [SDS] should be proactive and explicitly state they are gay
friendly … and I think also they need people who are aware of what the issues are
… I don‟t think heterosexual people appreciate the daily things you have to go
through because of your sexuality” (lesbian woman, age 42)
Improving provision of products and services
Interviewees made a number of suggestions for how careers support, advice and
guidance could improve. Some suggestions are broadly about improving the quality
of services on offer for all service users, others are specific recommendations for
how the needs of LGB service users can be better met.
A more person centred/ personalised approach
It was felt by a large number of interviewees that careers advice and guidance is
often too generic and impersonal. Whilst recognising the challenges faced by careers
advice and guidance providers in relation to limitations in knowledge of the vast
amount of options available, some interviewees felt that a more person
centred/personalised approach could be taken, whereby careers advice supports the
individual to identify what their strengths and weaknesses are and what job or career
would help them to make the most of their strengths and avoid focusing on those that
may play to their weaknesses. One interview mentioned the „life changing
experience‟ of going through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment49
which helped him to focus on what he was good at rather than „beat himself up‟ about
things that he was less able to do; this significantly helped the development of his
self confidence and identity.
Such activities could be done at a single point or at numerous points in someone‟s
career journey/pathway, both at the stages of early career decision making, but also
at later stages to support an individual‟s continued career progression.
Linked to this there were suggestions for services which help people identify and
assess what the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a particular path might
be for them.
“Careers advice would be good if it helped me to try to figure out what I ideally
want to do and if there is any training around that. Just to talk through the options”
(bisexual woman, age 24)
“Information about the advantages and disadvantages of different things…a
service like that would definitely be useful” (lesbian woman, age 24)
49
a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people
perceive the world and make decisionsa Myers Briggs exercise for more information go to:
http://www.myersbriggs.org/
49
“I think if you‟re going to decide what your career is and where you want to go,
you need to work out what your strengths and weaknesses are…Its difficult for
careers advisors to know everything – it‟s more about focusing on the person to
find out what they‟re good out – not focusing on what you‟ve done… I needed
someone to sit down and discuss things, rather than just present me with a list of
jobs.” (gay man, age 30)
In line with this personalised approach careers advisor and guidance providers
should also consider the wider influences on someone‟s decisions such as family,
friends, and other influences, and the impact of such influences on a person‟s self
confidence and sense of identity.
Increased awareness of LGB issues
Interviewees felt strongly that LGB people should be accessing the same mainstream
services as other customers. However there should be awareness and recognition of
the additional challenges that can be faced by LGB people in education and in the
workplace, and support should be on offer for those who might need it:
“I‟m a big believer in mainstreaming these things; you don‟t want to be pigeonholed and seen to be „different‟ from others (gay man, age 38)
“I think it would be handy if they knew the companies that were better at
equalities, say somewhere that had good equality procedures … was gay friendly
… and also those that have a bad reputation” (gay man, age 25)
“When I was in college, I was looking at universities with LGBT societies. At the
time, there wasn‟t anything like what Stonewall is producing now [a guide to LGB
friendly universities]. Now I‟m looking for masters courses, I look at that. I also
look at universities in big cities.” (lesbian woman, age 22)
“Maybe a statement … „if you want to talk about how sexuality impacts … „,
people may not take up that invitation, but [maybe they will] … you still
acknowledge that [you have this individual service on offer]” (queer woman, age
29)
The importance of open and informed staff that recognise the challenges LGB
customers might face in making choices and in pursuing their careers, and who
recognise the importance and impact of equalities and diversity more broadly, was
noted by a number of interviewees:
“We have equality and diversity training sessions every now and then … one of
the meetings we worked with case studies and one of them was about LGBT… I
saw it wasn‟t that colleagues weren‟t comfortable, it was just they had not been
exposed to those challenges….it was certainly enlightening to me to see the lack
of knowledge, it wasn‟t bigotry or homophobia… they just hadn‟t thought about
it… it‟s the soft knowledge” (gay man, age 27)
“Mostly its to do with the staff that are offering careers advice, perhaps just
making them more aware, having a bit of training, [generic] equality training and
also more specific [on LGBT issues], so when it comes up they‟re not stuck, and
50
don‟t know what to say … generally challenging attitudes and misconceptions,
awareness raising…looking a bit more in-depth at reasons why people may have
stereotypes and how attitudes can be changed…I don‟t think there‟s a need for
separate advice [to LGB people]” (gay man, age 23)
Interviewees also felt it important that careers advisors recognise that the choices
made by LGB people (be it their sexual orientation is „visible‟ or „invisible‟) may be
impacted upon by their own perceptions and fears because of their identity, by
negative experiences or discrimination they experience, or by stereotyping. Young
lesbian, gay or bisexual people having negative experiences at school accentuated
the value of a positive experience in accessing careers advice and guidance:
“I think definitely that [there should be] resources in schools because I think many
young gay people are scared…Sometimes it can be a quite lonely experience, so
for young people it would be important to have careers advice to say it‟s okay, you
can succeed at what you want to do … it‟s just giving them confidence I suppose
…and maybe some strategies for how to deal with homophobia in the workplace
e.g. in part time jobs” (gay man, age 22)
Knowledge of employers’ equality and diversity practice
To support LGB customers and enable them to make informed choices, interviewees
would like to see careers advice and guidance incorporate a good understanding of
different sectors, employers and workplaces.
Information and guidance about careers and employers should include information
(where available) on how that sector, or employer, approaches equality and diversity.
Additionally, it should be made clear how people should be treated in the workplace
or in education institutions and how people can address the problem if they feel they
are suffering discrimination because of their sexual orientation (or other protected
characteristics).
“They don‟t need to know what sexuality I am … but I suppose they could let you
know about the problems you can come across…how you would approach [it
with] colleagues …who do you talk to … that would be quite [helpful]. Perhaps
different materials can be available where they say “if anything applies to you, just
take it and if you have queries I„m happy to discuss them with you” (gay man, age
22)
Use of role models
In addition, interviewees highlighted the value that can be brought from the use of
role models and case studies in demonstrating the career opportunities and options
available to LGB people. This is supported by the fact that younger interviewees felt
more confident in their identity largely due to the increased visibility in society of LGB
public figures (in the UK and abroad) and the increased protection for people,
through changes to legislation. LGB role models can influence the early career
choices of LGB people; promoting such role models could helpfully inspire LGB
people to take on different careers and work towards clear career goals.
51
Work with partners
One interviewee suggested SDS collaborate with relevant partner organisations
(such as schools and LGBT organisations) to help understand and support lesbian,
gay and bisexual people in Scotland in making their career choices and in career
management.
“LGBT Youth Scotland linking with SDS…rather than LGBT Youth Scotland
looking at homophobic bullying and SDS looking at the careers of young people –
there should be some link.” (lesbian woman, age 25)
LGB monitoring
One interviewee suggested the monitoring of sexual orientation should be standard
practice in the delivery of services to help to develop a more reliable baseline of
information on the number of LGB using services in order to help further inform future
products and services and improvements in provision.
Summary of findings
Awareness of Skills Development Scotland and its products and services is limited;
there is therefore a need to raise awareness of the purpose and aims of Skills
Development Scotland, the range of services on offer and the stakeholder groups
they work with.
Raising awareness of SDS:

Greater use of the internet including the use of less traditional sites for
marketing careers services as potential avenues for effective outreach to
target audiences

Continued work with partners and wider stakeholders
Improving SDS products and services:

The continued use of a more person-centred approach and the awareness of
the wider influences on someone‟s decisions and the impact of such
influences on a person‟s self confidence and sense of identity.

LGB people should be accessing the same mainstream services as other
customers. However there should be awareness and recognition of the
additional challenges that can be faced by LGB people in education and in the
workplace, and support should be on offer for those who might need it.

Greater use of the SDS website to show the organisation‟s awareness and
commitment to equality and diversity

Information and guidance about careers and employers should include
information on how that sector, or employer, approaches equality and
diversity. Additionally, it should be made clear how people should be treated in
the workplace or in education institutions and how people can address the
problem if they feel they are a victim of discrimination.

Increase the use of role models and case studies in demonstrating the career
opportunities and options available to LGB people.
52
4.
Conclusion and Recommendations
At the outset, this research set out to address five key objectives. The following
provides a summary of the extent to which these have been achieved:
Objectives 1, 2 and 3 asked the extent to which sexual orientation impacts on early
career decisions, the transition from education to employment, and the impact on
career progression. This research shows that, in the majority of cases, sexual
orientation does have an impact on the decision making process for a lesbian, gay or
bi-sexual person progressing along their career pathway. However this impact varies
considerably depending on the point at which decisions are made and on a wide
range of internal and external factors. This research highlighted that at the early
stages of career development and also through career progression the impact of
sexual orientation on decisions is often sub-conscious; when interviewees were
encouraged to reflect on their decisions; in some cases the impact of their sexual
orientation on their decisions had not previously been acknowledged. For example,
most interviewees were keen to stress at the beginning of the interview that their
personal preferences were the most important influence on their decisions and
choices. However on further reflection they also acknowledged the sub-conscious
decisions they had made as a result of their sexual orientation, often as a result of
external pressures and their personal experiences.
The findings indicate that sexual orientation can impact on career choices in diverse
ways. For some individuals early experiences related to being LGB will have an
impact on their future career options, whereas for others it will have very little impact
at all. Evidence shows that personal experiences shape LGB people‟s attitudes and
perceptions and therefore impact on the decisions made throughout their careers, for
example, negative experiences at work can have a knock-on effect on career
progression for LGB people. The diversity indicates that a flexible approach is
needed when working with all customers, not just LGB customers.
Objectives also covered the need to establish how far sexual orientation stereotyping
is an issue in relation to career decisions and to examine the consequences of
visibility. The research has shown that stereotypes can have an impact on career
choices and some careers may be perceived as unwelcoming or „hostile‟ by LGB
people. SDS could usefully offer support to help LGB people make decisions based
on their aspirations and work to reduce the influence of stereotypes that limit career
options. Evidence also shows that the impact of invisibility at school may impact on
the educational attainment of some LGB people. In addition once in employment the
experiences of visibility varied considerably – some felt that being visible was not an
option and others felt equally strong about the importance of their sexual orientation
being visible in employment – once again this diversity in opinion was influenced by
an individual‟s experiences and personal preferences. Careers advice should
therefore endeavour to ensure services are as personalised and flexible as possible.
In any research with LGB communities it is important to acknowledge that that there
are likely to be differences between lesbian, gay and bisexual groups, as well
between people at a more micro-level. The sample for this research was too small to
be able to draw any definitive conclusions regarding differences in experiences
between LGB people. However despite this we were still able to see some
differences between LGB within the sectors, particularly around stereotyping and the
inter-sectionality of gender.
53
A final objective was to measure perception and understanding of SDS products and
services by LGB people and to establish how understanding and awareness could be
improved. Evidence from our interviews suggests that awareness of SDS is low and
that people are not often aware of the services and products on offer. Addressing this
and ensuring that the LGB population in Scotland understands the support that SDS
can provide in relation to career choices should be a priority. SDS has a role in
providing support to LGB people to enable them to deal with a number of the
experiences highlighted by this research, whether by providing advice and guidance
as to where LGB people can go to find out information about exercising their rights in
accordance with employment legislation or by helping people to find a more
enjoyable career path.
Overall, the research has shown that there are a wide range of factors that influence
career decisions in both young and older people, including peers, culture,
teachers/career adviser, the media, parents and extended family. Similarly, when
progressing in one‟s career once in employment there are other influences on
decisions, such as salary, relationships and location. For a lesbian, gay or bi-sexual
person the findings from this research also demonstrate a complex web of additional
factors around self-identity and societal stereotypes and perceptions that both
consciously and sub-consciously impact on choices and decisions. Although it is not
within the remit of SDS to tackle many of the issues highlighted in this research,
there are some areas in which they have the power to influence positive change and
improvement. The following section provides some recommendations on where the
focus could be, both internally and externally through the pro-active use of SDS
employees and partners.
4.1
Recommendations
At the end of the interviews all participants were asked for their thoughts on what
Skills Development Scotland could do to improve its products and services to ensure
they are more accessible for LGB people. The ideas are outlined in the previous
section and the recommendations presented in this section build on these ideas and
also draw on the wider findings as a whole.
The recommendations are organised around what SDS can do to improve its internal
practice and also what it can do to improve its public profile and increase the
awareness of its products and services. A number of the recommendations to
emerge from this research require collaboration with partners to add value and
strengthen work already being done within the remit of SDS.
Internal: Improving understanding and awareness in SDS
Recommendation 1: SDS uses this report in order to increase awareness of careers
advisors / and other employees responsible for providing advice and guidance to the
general public. The report could be used to:

Inform internal equal opportunities and diversity training – including issues around
stereotyping, treating people differently, etc.

Increase awareness of the challenges and issues faced by LGB people in
Scotland.
54

Ensure SDS have well informed staff with an understanding that:

It is not about having a different service for LGB people.

It is important to have a broader understanding of the impact of
personal characteristics on choices and experience – broader than just
LGB i.e. age, gender, socio-economic background, disability, ethnicity
etc. and how „inter-sectionality‟ issues can influence choices.

It is important for them to know where to signpost LGB people to – not
necessarily about being LGB experts themselves.

It is often embarrassing/upsetting for providers to assume people are
heterosexual (applies to other things like disability as well as sexual
orientation).
Recommendation 2: SDS continues to work with partners to ensure their customers
have access to a range of products, guidance and support for individuals and groups
of stakeholders to help reduce the barriers for LGB communities in education and
employment. Such products could include:

Information on LGB friendly employers.

Information on how to deal with homophobia in the workplace.

Information on how to „come out‟ in the workplace (or in school / university).

Develop a set of personal stories, case studies, vignettes, role models to
demonstrate how LGB people have successful managed and progressed in their
chosen career – these could help to both train staff and to encourage service
users to consider all their options.

Information that is tailored more on the two main stages of the journey – i.e. early
career decisions and career progression – recognising the various influences that
may impact on a person‟s decision making process and how these change over
time.
Recommendation 3: SDS continues to build on and improve its approach to
providing personalised advice and guidance. Being given the opportunity to talk
through different career options and receive tailored advice is valued by many LGB
people.
External: Improving public profile and working with partners
Recommendation 4: SDS makes better use of its website to improve its image in
relation to equality issues. Such changes could include:

Making sure it‟s obvious to people that SDS takes its responsibilities in relation to
equality seriously.
55
Recommendation 5: SDS continues to work with partners and stakeholders to help
support individuals to overcome any negative impacts on decisions as a result of
their sexual orientation

Sharing learning from this research with partners and stakeholders.

Developing ways with partners that can improve the approach to marketing to
certain target groups in marketing/getting the message across to LGB young
people that the services are there and open to them.

Developing ways of working with partners so that activities complement and add
value to each other rather than duplicate.

Using online networks, colleges, youth and sports clubs etc and not just LGBspecific ones.
56
5.
Appendices

Appendix 1: Documents reviewed in the scoping phase

Appendix 2: Organisations / Networks used for outreach and recruitment

Appendix 3: Interview guide
Appendix 1: Documents reviewed in the scoping phase
Author(s)
Year
Title
Publisher
Source/where accessed
McLean, C;
O'Connor, W
2003
Social Justice Sexual Orientation
Research Phase 2: The Future of
LGBT Research – Perspectives of
Community Organisations
Scottish Executive
Social Research
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/03/
16670/19415
McManus, S
2003
Social Justice Sexual Orientation
Research Phase 1: A Review of
Methodological Approaches
Scottish Executive
Social Research
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/03/
16650/19357
Beyond
Barriers; FMR
2003
First Out: Report of the findings of
the Beyond Barriers survey of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people in Scotland
FMR
www.stonewall.org.uk/documents/First_Out_PDF
_Report.pdf
Bromley, C;
Curtice, J
2003
Attitudes to discrimination in
Scotland
Scottish Executive
Social Research
www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/society/adis-00.asp
Ryan-Flood,
R
2004
Beyond Recognition and
Redistribution: A case study of
lesbian and gay workers in a local
labour market in Britain
Gender Institute
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/genderInstitute/pdf/Roisin.p
df
Warwick, I;
2004
Homophobia, Sexual Orientation
University of London
www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/
57
Author(s)
Year
Chase, E;
Aggleton, P
Title
Publisher
and Schools: a Review and
Implications for Action
Source/where accessed
RR594.pdf
Stonewall
2005
Network Groups: setting up
networks for lesbian, gay and
bisexual employees
Stonewall Workplace
Guides
www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/1473.asp
Scottish
Executive
2006
Improving policy and practice for
LGBT people: Guidance for Local
Authorities
Scottish Executive
Social Research
www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/90351/00217
53.pdf
Keogh, P;
Reid, D;
Weatherburn,
P
2006
Lambeth LGBT Matters: The needs
and experiences of Lesbians, Gay
men, Bisexual and Trans men and
women in Lambeth
Sigma Research
http://www.sigmaresearch.org.uk/downloads/repor
t06c.pdf
The Equalities
Review
2006
The Equalities Review: Interim
report for consultation
The Equalities
Review
www.pfc.org.uk/files/Equalities_ReviewInterim_Report.pdf
Stonewall
2007
The School Report
Stonewall
www.stonewall.org.uk/at_school/education_resour
ces/4121.asp
The Equalities
Review
2007
The Equalities Review: Sexual
orientation research review
The Equalities
Review
http://kc.csip.org.uk/viewdocument.php?action=vi
ewdox&pid=0&doc=37356&grp=446
Williams, Dr
M L;
Robinson, Dr
AL
2007
Counted In: A report for Stonewall
Cymru and the Welsh Assembly
Government SME Equality Project
Stonewall Cymru and
the Welsh Assembly
Government SME
Equality Project
www.stonewall.org.uk/other/startdownload.asp?o
penType=forced...
Cowan, K
2007
Living together: British attitudes to
lesbian and gay people
Stonewall
www.stonewall.org.uk/documents/living_together_
final_web.pdf
58
Author(s)
Year
Title
Publisher
Source/where accessed
Cowan, K
2007
Bullying: preventing the bullying
and harassment of gay employees
Stonewall Workplace
Guides
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/1473.asp
Stonewall
2007
Career development: How to
support your lesbian and gay
employees
Stonewall Workplace
Guides
www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/1473.asp
The Equalities
Review
2007
Fairness and Freedom: The final
report of the Equalities Review
The Equalities
Review
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corpo
rate/fairnessfreedom
The Scottish
Government
2007
Skills for Scotland: A lifelong skills
strategy
The Scottish
Government
www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/09/06091
114/0
The Scottish
Government
2008
Challenging prejudice: changing
attitudes towards lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people in
Scotland. Recommendations of the
LGBT Hearts and Minds Agenda
Group
The Scottish
Government
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/02/
19133153/0
Skills
Development
Scotland
2008
Interim Equality Scheme 2008
Skills Development
Scotland
Obtained from SDS
The Scottish
Government
2008
Scottish Government Response to
Challenging prejudice: changing
attitudes towards lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people in
Scotland. Recommendations of the
LGBT Hearts and Minds Agenda
Group
The Scottish
Government
www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/04154
235/5
59
Author(s)
Year
Title
Publisher
Source/where accessed
Botcherby S;
Creegan C
2009
Moving forward: putting sexual
orientation in the public domain.
Equality and Human Rights
Commission research summary 40
EHRC
www.equalityhumanrights.com/.../research/resear
ch40_so_moving_forward.pdf
Gold, D;
Cowan, K
2009
Mapping LGBT Westminster:
Investigating the needs and
experiences of
LGBT people in Westminster
Westminster City
Council
http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/socialissu
es/equalities/galop/
Guasp, A;
Balfour, J
2009
Peak Performance: Gay People
and Productivity
Stonewall
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/1473.asp
Hall, N;
Panton, D
2009
Improving the Region's Knowledge
Base on the LGB&T population in
the North West: Report to the
NWRDA and partners
ECOTEC Research
and Consulting
www.nwda.co.uk/PDF/Final_Report%20LGBT.pdf
Macpherson,
S; Bond, S
2009
Equality issues in Scotland: a
review of research, 2000–08.
EHRC Research Report 29
EHRC
www.equalityhumanrights.com/.../Scotland/equalit
y_issues_in_scotland_a_ review_of_research.pdf
Miles, N
2009
The double-glazed glass ceiling:
lesbians in the workplace
Stonewall
www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/1473.asp
Mitchell, M;
Howarth, C;
Kotecha, M;
Creegan, C
2009
Sexual orientation research review
2008
EHRC
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_fil
es/sexual_orientation_research_review.pdf
ACAS
2009
Sexual orientation and religion or
belief discrimination in the
workplace
ACAS
http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/d/j/SORB_sum
maries_1.pdf
60
Author(s)
Year
Title
Publisher
Source/where accessed
Bond, S;
Hollywood, E
2009
Integration in the workplace:
emerging employment practice on
age, sexual orientation and religion
and belief. Research report 36.
EHRC
www.equalityhumanrights.com/.../research/integra
tion_in_the_workplace.pdf
Chamberlain,
B
2009
Bisexual people in the workplace:
practical advice for employers
Stonewall Workplace
Guides
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/1473.asp
Foster, C
2009
EOR survey on employment
policies on sexual orientation
Equal Opportunities
Review
http://www.eortrial.co.uk/default.aspx?id=1120110
Hunt, R
2009
Religion and Sexual orientation:
how to manage relations in the
workplace
Stonewall Workplace
Guides
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace/1473.asp
Mitchell, M;
Dickens, S;
O'Connor, W
2009
Same-Sex couples and the impact
of legislative changes
Economic and Social
Research Council
http://www.natcen.ac.uk/study/same-sex-couples
Stonewall
2009
The Teachers' Report
Stonewall
www.stonewall.org.uk/documents/the_teachers_r
eport_1.pdf
Stonewall
Scotland
2009
Stonewall Scotland Workplace
Conference: Making Equality Work
for LGB staff
Stonewall Scotland
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/documents/all_slides
_merged__whole_day.ppt
Skills
Development
Scotland
2010
Draft Equality Scheme: 2010-2013
Skills Development
Scotland
Obtained from SDS
ACAS
2010
Sexual orientation and the
workplace: a guide for employers
and employees
ACAS
http://www.acas.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=10
5&p=0
61
Author(s)
Year
Title
Publisher
Source/where accessed
Garrett, Dr R;
Campbell, M;
Mason, G
2010
The Value of Skills: An Evidence
Review
UK Commission for
Employment and
Skills
http://www.ukces.org.uk/evidence-reports/thevalue-of-skills-an-evidence-review-evidencereport-22
Hall, C
2010
Advancing LGB equality: Improving
the experience of lesbian, gay and
bisexual
staff and students in higher
education
The Equality
Challenge Unit
www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/files/advancing-lgbequality.pdf
Joloza, T;
Evans, J;
O'Brien, R
2010
Measuring Sexual Identity: An
evaluation report
Office for National
Statistics
www.statistics.gov.uk/articles/.../measuringsexual-identity-report.pdf
62
Appendix 2: Organisations / Networks used for outreach and
recruitment
Outreach and recruitment
As part of our outreach, we developed a bespoke project webpage, which provided
more information about the research, the methods used, potential involvement of
participants, and an introduction to the research team. The webpage included a link
to a brief questionnaire that potential participants were asked to complete in order to
express their interest in being interviewed. The questionnaire asked for demographic
details such as gender and age, which provided the recruitment team with the
sampling information needed to meet the quotas.
The link to the webpage was then included in a brief advertisement providing a brief
description of the study, the wording of which was adjusted according to the target
audience. This information was distributed as an e-leaflet in the following ways:

through contact with Scotland-based LGB and LGBT organisations;

through Scottish universities, colleges and student organisations;

through Facebook groups and online forums whose users were likely to identify
as LGB
Contacts in the above organisations and groups were informed about the purpose of
the research and asked to disseminate the information about it through appropriate
means (e.g. e-newsletters). At regular intervals the sample was reviewed by the team
to see whether more targeted recruitment was needed to meet the sampling quotas
by reaching specific groups of LGB people (e.g. in terms of their age and
geographical location).
Individuals were contacted by a member of the project team via email to arrange a
suitable time for an interview. Those who could not be interviewed due to the
quotas being full were also contacted with apologies.
The response from contacts that were willing to help in distributing the information
about the research varied. There was generally a positive response from LGB and
LGBT organisations as well as from equality and diversity leads at colleges, but a
relatively poor response from LGB and LGBT societies at universities. However,
some outreach techniques proved more effective than others. Initially, there was a
good response from individuals aged 30+ but a poor response from the 16-30 age
group. After more targeted recruitment, there was a good response from university
students, but no college students expressed their interest.
Bisexual people proved relatively difficult to reach, particularly those aged 16-30.
Also, there was no response from LGB people from black and minority ethnic
backgrounds.
Organisations and groups that helped us disseminate information about the project
are listed below.
63
LGB and LGBT organisations and online groups in Scotland

Stonewall Scotland

Equality Network

Highland LGBT Forum

LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing

Bi Scotland

Inverness LGBT Youth Group

LGBT Moray Group

Gay Professionals Scotland
Universities, colleges and student organisations in Scotland

NUS Scotland

Scotland‟s Colleges

University of Aberdeen

Stevenson College, Edinburgh

Rose Brow, Reid and Kerr College, Paisley

Carnegie College, Fife

Forth Valley College, Falkirk

Coatbridge College, Coatbridge
64
Appendix 3: Interview guide
Introduction

Introduce yourself and OPM

Thank interviewee for speaking to us as part of this project
Project introduction
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has commissioned the Office for Public Management (OPM) to
undertake a piece of research into the impact of sexual orientation on career management skills and
career progression. SDS is a non-departmental public body which brought together the careers, skills,
training and funding services of Careers Scotland, Scottish University for Industry (Learndirect
Scotland) and the skills functions of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise. It
provides information, advice and guidance relating to career and learning choices to people of all ages
and promotes equality of access and opportunity. It wants to lead by example in their work with the
lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) communities living in Scotland, and hence has asked us to conduct
this piece of work.
Purpose of the interview
The research project aims to provide a baseline of information on the impact of sexual orientation on
career management and career progression, including the use and usefulness of career information
and advice.
We‟re speaking to a small group of people from across Scotland who identify as lesbian, gay or
bisexual to gather their views on these issues.
The interview will take a chronological approach – I will first ask you a few questions about your
background, then about your early career choices, transition from education/training to employment,
career progression, and finally about any career support you may have used.
We will be talking about the impact of sexual orientation on these issues generally and in relation to
your own experiences.
Towards the end of the interview you will have a chance to share your thoughts on what SDS can do
to improve the experiences of LGB individuals.
Interviews will then be analysed and presented in a report to SDS. The information will be used by
SDS to improve their approach to working with their LGB customers.
All the information you provide will be anonymised and our findings will be reported
confidentially.
If there are questions that you do not want to answer, then you are under no obligation to do
so.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Interview Questions
Background – for all interviewees
1. Can you please confirm the following information? [Insert information from the screening
survey]
2. Are you currently…:
a. Taking part in formal education or training?
65
th
i. Probe: what level? 6 form, under-graduate, post-graduate, other vocational
training?
b. Employed?
i. Probe: junior / trainee / middle management / senior management / self
employed / full or part time?
c.
Out of work, education or training?
3. Can you please provide me with a very brief outline of your education and career background
to date, for example your level of education, institutions/courses attended, past employers etc.
Education/training and early career choices – for all interviewees
Thinking back to when you were first making your choices about your career and what you wanted to
pursue…
4. What factors did you personally consider when making your education/training and early
career choices?
5. To what extent do you think your sexual orientation had an impact on these decisions?
Probe:

To a large extent, to some extent, no impact at all…

Positive/negative impacts
Please explain why you think this is?
6. What other factors do you think had an impact on these decisions?
Transition from education/training into chosen career – only for interviewees who have been in
employment
7. To what extent do you think your sexual orientation had an impact on your ability to
successfully move from education/training into your chosen career?
Probe:

To a large extent, to some extent, no impact at all…

Positive/negative impacts
Please explain why you think this is?
8. What other factors do you think had an impact on this transition?
Progressing in chosen career – only for interviewees who have been in employment
9. Once in employment, what/who influenced the choices you have made regarding your career
progression/development?
10. To what extent do you think your sexual orientation had an impact on your career
progression/development?
11. Has there been any point in your career where you think your sexual orientation has either
been a disadvantage or advantage? If so, why?
12. What other factors do you think may have had an impact on your career
progression/development?
13. Reflecting on your career as a whole, do you think there have been any times when you have
made any significant changes?
66
Probe if they have changed their career, location, employer, education provider, etc.
What were the reasons for this change?
Use of careers advice – for all interviewees
14. Throughout your career have you ever been in contact with careers advisors or had any other
information, advice or guidance regarding your education, training and career choices from
organisations providing this support?
Probe: what services, who, where, when, how accessed, format, why chosen?
15. When accessing this support to what extent were you „visible‟ as lesbian, gay or bisexual?
Probe: extent of this visibility, i.e. with all services and providers, if yes/no why?
16. To what extent, if at all, did your sexual orientation impact upon your use of these support,
advice or guidance services?
Probe: level of honesty with advisor, how accessed, how frequently accessed, who they would
speak to…
General questions – if enough time and haven’t been covered already (make sure you leave 510 minutes to cover last section)
17. What impact, if any, do you think sexual orientation has on the education, training or career
choices of people living in Scotland today?
Probe:

To a large extent, to some extent, no impact at all…

Positive/negative impacts

Industries/sectors

Types of job i.e. public/private

Full time/part time

Employed/self employed
Please explain why you think this is?
What personal experience, if any, do you have of these issues?
Do you think these issues are any more prominent in Scotland than in other parts of the UK?
18. What issues, if any, face lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the workplace in Scotland?
19. How, if at all, do you think the impact of sexual orientation varies between lesbian, gay and
bisexual communities?
20. To what extent do you think sexual orientation stereotyping is an issue in relation to education,
training or career decisions?
Probe:

To a large extent, to some extent, no impact at all…

Positive/negative impacts
Please explain why you think this is?
21. Do you think levels of visibility have an impact on people‟s ability to progress in their career?
What are the impacts, if any, of being visibly lesbian, gay or bisexual in the workplace?

Level of visibility as LG or B
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
Positive/negative impacts
What personal experience, if any, do you have of these issues?
Awareness of SDS and suggested recommendations – for all interviewees
22. What do you think SDS can do to improve peoples‟ awareness and understanding of its work?
23. How do you think SDS can best make information and services accessible to all lesbian, gay
and bisexual people in Scotland?
24. What do you think other organisations could do to help address some of the issues facing
lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Scotland?
Probe:

LGBT sector i.e. Stonewall Scotland, Equality Network, LGBT Youth

Education and training providers

Employers
25. Do you know of any organisations that represent good practice in working with LGB
individuals?
Probe:

What do they do?

What makes this good practice?

Could this be done by others?

How can this good practice best be disseminated?
26. Do you have any additional comments or questions?
Thanks and close - get details of the participants in order to send thank you payment
Ask interviewee if they want to receive info once the project’s finished
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