When Authenticity Feels Risky: The Quiet Reality for LGBTQ+ Employees
The Hidden Weight of Self-Censorship
There is a kind of work that doesn’t show up on task lists or in performance reviews. It is the quiet, internal effort that some employees carry with them each day—the need to constantly assess how much of themselves they can safely share.
For many LGBTQ+ professionals, this is part of the job. It might be subtle, like hesitating before mentioning a partner’s name in a team call. Or deciding not to correct a misused pronoun. Or feeling the pressure to change the subject when personal questions get too close. It’s not fear in the dramatic sense. It’s caution. A constant calculation.
Over time, this quiet self-editing becomes exhausting. It limits connection. It erodes confidence. And it sends a message, often unintended but clear all the same: being fully yourself here might not be completely safe.
Culture Is Built in the Everyday Moments
Inclusion doesn’t begin with policies or Pride Month campaigns. It lives in the small, everyday interactions that shape how people feel at work.
It’s in the casual conversations where someone assumes everyone is straight. It is in who gets included in social events or whose voice is welcomed in meetings. It’s in how a team responds when someone shares something vulnerable—or doesn’t.
When colleagues meet each other with curiosity instead of assumptions, when managers model respectful behavior, when leadership backs words with action, something shifts. Those small choices help create a workplace where people don’t have to weigh every word or wonder whether they belong.
Inclusion doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful. Often, it’s the quiet consistency that makes all the difference.
Why This Matters for Everyone
This isn’t about identity politics. It’s about people feeling safe, valued, and able to do their best work.
When someone is able to show up as they are, without fear or second-guessing, they bring more to their role. They share ideas more freely. They build stronger relationships. They stay longer. Inclusion, when it’s real, strengthens teams and deepens trust across an organization. When it’s not real, the opposite happens. People withdraw. They leave. Sometimes quietly, sometimes abruptly. But either way, the loss is real.
The numbers offer a glimpse into the impact:
Around 40% of LGBTQ+ employees are not out at work.
One in three has left a job due to how they were treated.
And among transgender workers, 70% report experiencing mistreatment in the workplace.
These statistics aren’t just numbers. They reflect daily realities, often invisible to those who’ve never had to question whether being themselves at work might be risky.
What Real Support Looks Like
Creating an inclusive culture doesn’t mean perfection. It means showing up, asking better questions, and taking action when something isn’t right.
For leaders, it means building inclusion into the core of how the organization operates. That includes how teams are structured, how feedback is given, how success is recognized, and who has a voice at the table. It’s not enough to support LGBTQ+ employees quietly. They need to know they are supported loudly, and not only during Pride.
For colleagues, it means noticing. Noticing who’s being left out, who’s staying quiet. It means stepping in rather than looking away. Sometimes that is correcting a joke that goes too far, or checking in with a teammate after a meeting.
At Silatha, we help organizations turn this into practice. Our Bias & Taboo Topics Trainings open up the conversations that too often stay hidden—from identity and mental health to the quiet, everyday pressures we carry. Our support programs create space for employees to reflect, connect, and grow together, helping to build teams grounded in trust and psychological safety.
If you're ready to create a workplace where everyone feels free to show up fully, we are here to help.
Book a call with us today to learn more.
Written by Tudor Marinca