Exploring how gay men manage their gay identity in the workplace. Simon Peter Roberts A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of London for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Queen Mary, University of London September 2013 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Simon Roberts, declare that the thesis entitled ‘Exploring how gay men manage their identity in the workplace’ and the work presented in it is my own and all references are cited accordingly. Part of this work has been or is about to be published: Roberts, S. (2011) Exploring how gay men manage their social identities in the workplace: the internal/external dimensions of identity. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion An International Journal. Vol. 30. No. 8 pp. 668-685. Article submitted (Minor revisions) Roberts, S. (2013) ‘Out’ in the field. Reflecting on the dilemmas of insider status on data collection and conducting interviews with gay men. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion An International Journal. Signed: Date: 12th September 2013 Research Ethics Ref at Queen Mary: QMREC2009/29 2 Abstract In the UK, as in many western nations, there have been a number of progressive pieces of legislation enacted with the intent to eradicate discrimination on the basis of sexuality in the workplace. The pace and scale of acceptance of gay equality laws has been relatively rapid in recent years. To cite an example, in 2004 gay marriage was only legal in Belgium and Holland, whereas in 2013 it is legal in 11 countries (The Guardian, 2013). Up until this legislation came into force, the focus of previous research probably unsurprisingly has been predominately around two strands; sexual minorities’ experiences of discrimination in the workplace and the issue of disclosure/non-disclosure of a gay identity. There has been little exploration ‘beyond the closet’, in how gay men manage their identity post anti-discrimination laws combined with more liberal attitudes towards homosexuality. In particular, there has been a paucity of research on the ways gay men challenge, negotiate and conform in the two way process of managing their identities; this thesis aims to address this gap. Data were gathered from forty-five semi-structured in-depth interviews with self- identified gay men in a wide range of occupations and ages working in a seaside resort on the South coast of England. A qualitative methodology was used in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the ways gay men manage their gay identity in their interaction with others. Furthermore, by using reflexivity this thesis aims to show how the sample of respondents had modified and changed the ways they presented their gay identity throughout their working lives. In particular, the thesis aims to uncover critical incidents based upon their sexuality that respondents confronted in their interaction with others. The key findings that emerged from the data include; the identification of a range of strategies gay men deployed in how they managed their identity and dealt with discrimination from confrontation to conformity; the multiple constraints and opportunities that impacted upon the ways gay men both managed and disclosed their gay identity; the perceived incongruity around positions of authority, professionalism and a 3 gay identity; and finally how silence was used as a form of exclusion creating significant barriers in the ways gay men could make themselves visible and use their voice within organisations. These findings considerably extend our understanding of the pervasiveness of heteronormativity in the workplace; the impact of contextual influences on managing a gay identity, and gay men’s experiences against a back drop of post-anti-discrimination laws in the U.K. The thesis will aid HR practitioners in giving them a better understanding of the dilemmas gay men face in their interactions with others in the workplace. 4 Acknowledgments First of all, I am enormously grateful for all 45 gay men who volunteered to give up their time to participate in my research. Without them this thesis would not have been possible. I would also like to thank the organisers of Gay Pride in Bournemouth for giving me the permission to set up a stall to promote my study in order to find potential participants. Thanks are also due to my supervisors, Prof Gill Kirton and Prof Mike Noon for giving me invaluable advice and support. Their meticulous comments and eye for detail were invaluable. Being a part-time PhD student some distance away from Queen Mary meant that at times it was a lonely experience. I am thus appreciative of the support and guidance of fellow full time PhD students who were further ahead in the process. In particular, I would like to thank Nicole Avdelidou-Fischer and Tessa Wright for lending me their ear. Finally, I would like to thank my partner, John for putting up with my moans, groans and anxieties during this seven year journey. 5 Contents Item Title Page number Declaration of Authorship 2 Abstract 3 Acknowledgements 5 List of Tables and Figures 8 List of Tables 9 List of Figures 9 1 Introduction 10 1.1 Research questions 12 1.2 Outline of Thesis 12 1.3 Chapter 2: Previous literature on the experiences of gay men in the 18 workplace 2.1 Introduction 18 2.2 Discrimination in the workplace 20 2.3 Educating others about a gay existence 28 2.4 Disclosure / non-disclosure of sexual orientation in the workplace 32 2.5 Silence in the workplace 37 2.6 The salience of context 42 2.7 The Impact of LGBT networks on gay identity management 45 2.8 Legislation 47 2.9 Gay men’s experiences of working in male dominated ‘masculinised’ 51 occupations 2.10 Humour 54 2.11 Expressing sexuality in the workplace 56 2.12 Conclusion 61 Chapter 3: Conceptual framework 64 3.1 The significance of identity 64 3.2 Sameness and difference 67 3.3 Symbolic interactionism 71 3.4 The interaction order 73 3.5 The internal identity 74 3.6 Passive/Active identities 77 3.7 Goffman’s ‘Presentation of Self’ 79 3.8 The external identity 81 3.9 Stereotyping, marked identities and tokenism 83 3.10 Structural constraints 85 3.11 Hegemonic masculinity 86 3.12 Heteronormativity and the heterosexual matrix 92 6 3.13 Conclusion 94 4. Chapter 4. Methodology issues 96 4.1 Introduction 96 4.2 Epistemology 96 4.3 Reasons for deploying qualitative research methods 97 4.4 Recruitment strategies 101 4.4.1 Snowballing 101 4.5 Sample size 105 4.6 Sample composition 107 4.7 Revealing my sexuality to interviewees 108 4.8 The issue of power relations in interviews 112 4.9 Issue of reliability 113 4.10 Interview setting 114 4.11 Interview structure 114 4.12 Data analysis 122 4.13 Conclusion 125 5.0 Chapter 5: The impact of workplace climate and context on 126 disclosure. 5.1 Introduction 126 5.2 The presence of gay co-workers and gay senior managers 128 5.3 The impact of supportive co-workers and senior managers 135 5.4 The impact of informal and in-company LGBT networks and unions 137 5.4.1 Informal networks 137 5.4.2 LGBT in-company networks and unions 139 5.5 The impact of organisational anti-discrimination policies 143 5.6 Sexual orientation awareness training 149 5.7 ‘Non-gay friendly’ organisation 150 5.8 The impact of working in male dominated manual occupations 152 5.9 The impact of legislation 157 5.10 Conclusion 159 6.0 Chapter 6: Self-identity and identity performance 163 6.1 Introduction 163 6.2 The importance of a gay identity and the presentation of self 165 6.2.1 Downplaying sexuality 172 6.3 Perceiving sexuality as a private concern: Separating private and work life 174 6.4 Emphasising a professional identity 176 6.5 Issue of competence 179 6.6 Political, active and passive identities 180 6.7 The timing and manner: revealing discreditable information 186 6.8 Playing up to stereotypes and use of humour in identity management 194 6.9 Conclusion 199 7.0 Chapter 7: Gay identity management and others in the workplace 204 7 7.1 Introduction 204 7.2 Marked identities, tokenism and stereotyping 205 7.3 Stereotyping 212 7.4 A piece of curiosity 214 7.5. Drawing social boundaries: discomfort, distance, policing normative 219 masculinity and Exclusion to inclusion 7.5.1 Sensing discomfort 219 7.5.2 Creating distance 220 7.5.3 Policing normative masculinity 221 7.6 Exclusion to inclusion 222 7.7. A vacuum of silence 227 7.8. Conclusion 232 8.0 Chapter 8: The dialectic of strategic responses 235 8.1 Introduction 235 8.2 From asserting self-identity to conformity 238 8.2.1 Normalising a gay identity 238 8.2.2 Confrontational approach 247 8.2.3 Conformity 252 8.3 Expressing sexuality 256 8.4 Conclusion 268 9.0 Chapter 9: Conclusion 271 9.1 Revisiting the research aims and objectives in light of the finding 271 9.2 How do different organisational contexts impact upon the ways gay men 272 manage their gay identity and how problematic do disclosure issues remain? 9.3 How important is their sexuality in their working lives in defining who 277 they are? 9.4 What self-presentation strategies do gay men use in managing their 276 identity in the workplace? 9.5 How do gay men perceive other colleagues react and respond to their 280 sexuality? 9.6 How do gay men work upon, challenge, conform to, modify and resist the 282 identities, labels and stereotypes ascribed by others? 9.7 Limitations and suggestions for future research 286 9.8 Final Reflections 288 Appendices 291 Appendix 1: Recruitment poster and Information for interviewees 291 Appendix 2: Interview guide linked to conceptual framework 293 Appendix 3: Interview guide 295 Appendix 4: Consent form 297