Pride Month Reminder: LGBTQ+ Employees Aren’t All the Same

And Maggie loved gay people. I know that, because she explicitly told me when she learned I was gay, probably six months into working together. Up to that point, Maggie and I had collaborated on a few projects, but were in different departments and didn’t socialize outside of work. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were gay!” she exclaimed, before sharing how much she loved going to drag shows, shopping, and watching Bravo with “her gays.” She then demanded to know my favorite Real Housewives franchise, and seemed genuinely surprised I didn’t have one. Maggie started stopping by my desk every morning to share gossip and dating stories that I truly never asked about. Our collaborations, which used to be productive, turned into her giving me show or book recommendations her gay friends loved. I gritted my teeth until I couldn’t. I tried to politely explain to Maggie that while plenty of gay men love drag, Bravo, and her dating stories, they weren’t things that interested me—and that while I don’t doubt good intent, the way she assumed all gay people are the same was frankly reductive. According to a 2024 study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, which researches sexual orientation and gender identity in law and public policy, nearly half of LGBTQ+ employees have experienced discrimination, harassment, or stereotyping at work. Nearly half aren’t out to supervisors at work—a percentage that’s increased in the past year. More data from the Human Rights Campaign suggests that trend may be worsening: 47% of LGBTQ+ respondents report they are less out in at least one area of their lives than they were the year before. I want to make it very clear: I’m not saying Maggie harassed or discriminated against me by any means. Stereotype, absolutely—but there wasn’t malice. If anything, in that particular office, the incident made her look foolish. (After this all went down, my then office-