How to Start a Gay/Lesbian Group at Your Workplace

Company management often learns a lot about gay and lesbian issues from the company's gay and lesbian employee group. Here's how you can start a group where you work.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Website
• Voice mail box

1. Try to find out if there is already a gay group - maybe an informal, underground one. You don't want to duplicate someone else's effort.

2. Decide whether you have enough leadership ability to start the group by yourself. If not, get some help.

3. See if your company has any rules regarding the formation of employee groups. Many do, and your job will obviously be in jeopardy if you violate any rules.

4. Start forming relationships with key people in the human resources department who can be useful later on.

5. Make appointments with employees who you think are gay or gay-friendly and tell them about your plans, even if you aren't sure they what their response will be.

6. Call a meeting, perhaps at a coffee shop after work. It will be a success even if only three or four people show up, because those people may be able to help you reach out to others.

7. Have a clear idea of your group's goals.

8. Set up a voice mail box and a Web site so new members will be able to find you.

Tips & Warnings

• Getting a company to create a sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy and getting it to begin offering domestic partner benefits are the most common reasons people form gay employee groups.
• If a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation is not in place at your company, it might be best to form an informal group outside of the company's structure and to use caution in approaching management.

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