LGBT question, Job applying

[Eva Skarlatova]

So, being in between the jobs recently and applying for bunch of positions, there is almost always a question: Are you a LGBT person? Options: Yes, No, I prefer not to answer. Please share your toughts: Why they need that information? Do you think that answering "Yes", would affect my application negatively? The third option is stupid and the same as answering Yes.Would you share your experience please? As a whole I feel myself embarrassed and confused. It seems that they would not assess my skills and knowledge but my sexuality!

[Princess Chantal]

Perhaps the company is looking for some diversity within their company and may be a positive factor card to stack into your playing hand.

[Tracii G]

Answering yes makes you a liability to their business IMO because you may possible cause legal issues with them.
If they view you as a gay or trans activist that may hurt your chances of employment with them.
Is it right they ask all these questions you may ask sure if they want to know but you can choose not to answer on the grounds that its too personal.
Princess Chantal has a good point too and thats a possibility as well.

PS this is just my opinion because activist type do cause problems in the work place.
If some don't agree thats fine I'm just giving you the honest truth.

[Robertacd]

Wow things certainly have changed since the last time I was job hunting 30 years ago...

Back then it was still somewhat common to be asked your race on job applications. Probably for all the same reasons Chantel and Tracii mentioned above.

This to shall pass...

But in the meantime I would check the box that fits. If you are out then answer yes, if not then no.

[robbieatbest]

yes if you are "out" and would like to go to work dressed then it would be best to say so. Do some background checking of the prospective employer they may well be wanting to increase the diversity of their workforce. In that case they would expect you to be dressed as a woman if they invite you for interview. Good luck job hunting.
Cheers
Robbie

[Micki_Finn]

In many places here in the United States that would be illegal to ask an applicant. I’m surprised it flys in Canada.

[Beverley Sims]

I would pass on both questions and if asked why I would ask why? right back.

If I got a satisfactory answer I may then discuss it, to my advantage of course.

[Stephanie47]

Micki is spot on. I noticed you're in Canada. I do not know Canadian law. In the United States according to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) it is illegal to ask on a job application or in an interview a prospective employee or employee:

Race, Color or National Origin
Religion
Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation
Pregnancy Status
Disability
Age or Genetic Information
Citizenship
Marital Status Or Number of Children

As pertains to the United States one may research which and why some questions are excluded. I don't know the law in Canada, but, in the USA that question should not be asked.

[gailprice]

I am surprised this is a question on a job app. It would make me suspicious. However this maybe a case of positive discrimination. They may want to encourage LGBT to apply for positions in their organisations. Most likely they have already LGBT active in their employment.
You may want to turn up for the interview in a nice frock at least their won't be any surprises.

I would tick the box. To worry that they may think of you as a trouble maker/activist would be very narrow minded of them.

Over to you?

Gail xx

[docrobbysherry]

Why all this guessing? I would simply ask the HR person why they asked that question?

[Genni]

In most cases the job applicant's answer to that question is not available to the hiring manager. It is the type of thing that HR Departments track to assess their employees' diversity.

[giuseppina]

It doesn't legally fly, Micki. It's bullying. If they ask these questions and don't hire the candidate, they have left themselves open to litigation concerning illegal discrimination in their hiring practices.

Eva, there are legally proscribed questions in a job interview including but not limited to marital status, LGBT status, medical status, what you intend to do with your wages/salary, family status/ambitions, etc. Your provincial/territorial ministry of labour website has the full details.

I've had some of these questions asked in McJob interviews. I haven't had much trouble with professional employment.

If you're asked these types of questions, chances are good that is a reflection of the workplace environment. I found reviews of an employer I was considering complaining about micromanagement of university educated professionals. There were also complaints about the complainers claiming immaturity. I decided not to apply: toxic work environment.

My answer to this type of question would be requesting an explanation of the relevance to the work at hand (there is never anything permissible beyond health and safety considerations) or give them an obviously preposterous answer. If it's an online form, I would leave it totally blank. It might cost you the job, but my view is the disrespect isn't worth it.

I don't buy that line, Chantal. There are legal ways to do that which do not include asking the question.

[Kelly DeWinter]

Leave it blank, In the US LGBTQ discrimination is semi-protected.

[NancySue]

Pass on it! It’s none of their #$&*# business. Look somewhere else.

[Princess Chantal]

For the record, I do not think the question is appropriate to ask on a job application unless it is for a Lgbt based organization like a lgbt resource centre.
If the organization is obviously promoting inclusion and diversity, I may put the volunteering work I have done within the local Lgbt community onto my resume or mention during the interview. I will still leave the question on the application form blank though.

[AllieSF]

If you are not out and do not plan to be out, then answer No and go forward. If you are out, answer yes. If you are not sure, answer No. Then if you change your mind about coming out you can do that under existing laws and how well the company may abide by them, i.e. would they fire you for some other excuse that is hard to prove?

There are many reasons a company may do that, some good and some bad. The reason for you right now is not why. It is how much do you want to work with that company versus the others that may hire you. Income is the most important unless you are independently well off. Good luck.

[Teresa]

Eva,
You don't mention your line of work but these questions may not apply in some occupations but I could see them being relevant in others. I'm not sure how I feel about the question , if I was given the choice of an alternative I would prefer to say I'm TG , the point being the LGBT label is partly based on sexual orientation and not so much gender . We organised a charity event recently and chose to use the TG banner rather than the LGBT one .

I feel Micki answers the question correctly but if its' a genuine question in support of the community because they have an open policy is it a bad thing ?

[Vickie_CDTV]

Personally, as a business owner, I couldn't fathom asking a random stranger such a deeply personal question, much less a job applicant.

They may be after "diversity certificates" from outside organizations that come in and check how many "diversity" employees they have and give them a certification they can use to solicit business and in some cases get advantages over "non diversity" businesses (and of course engage in corporate virtue signaling.) That, or they are being shaken down by the government or some organization for not having enough "diversity" employees. I know this is very cynical, but I believe in merit, as an employer or employee. I want the best person for the job. I want to be hired for my skills, not because I tick some checkbox on an application.

[AllieSF]

You don't mention your line of work but these questions may not apply in some occupations but I could see them being relevant in others.

Teresa, please explain how one's gender orientation, that is legally protected (though difficult to enforce or prove wrong sometimes) can be relevant sometimes? That is the poor excuse employers and others use to discriminate against race, religion, ethnicity and others.

[Gillian Gigs]

In many places here in the United States that would be illegal to ask an applicant. I’m surprised it flys in Canada.

That question has no right to be asked. That is an infringement of your rights in Canada.

[RADER]

Maybe they are worried you might drive up the health insurance. LOL
They have no business asking such questions.
rader

[sometimes_miss]

I'm going to jump in here and add that during interviews, there are all sorts of questions that we used to ask which weren't technically illegal to pose to a job applicant, but were asked to allow them to 'give themselves away' about information that we couldn't ask. It's been a while since I was a manager, so maybe others can chime in to this practice if it's still being done. A big one was to just ask what reasons the applicant might have for not being able to come to work. Acceptable answers might of course include death of a family member, illness or injury of same, illness of self, transportation problem which would make it impossible to get to work, and I think you can come up with some others. However, we would get assorted answers which would tell us things that we couldn't have asked about, such as religious reasons, staying home to take care of children/sick relative/friend/pet, or a lost pet. While all these may sound reasonable, to some employers, nothing short of a disabilitating illness or injury is considered acceptable for absence. Other things to be careful of, are information about yourself that they might see as a potential safety or legal issue (that last I think was already mentioned, but bears repeating). Say, sporting a long beard or hair when applying to work in a machine shop where it might get caught in a machine or be a fire hazard in somewhere that has open flames such as a kitchen.
In short, be careful of the information that you volunteer without being directly asked about it.

The only place I even might be thinking that asking the lgbt question could be appropriate, would be in a job where the majority of the clientele IS lgbtq, and in the interview finding out if there was a particular group of clientele that the applicant might be particularly knowledgeable about the customer's problems. Though the applicant would probably volunteer that information in such an environment, anyway, to enhance their own chances of employment; so it might not matter if asked or not.

Plan for questions, and plan your answers ahead of time. This way you're never put 'on the spot' with trying to invent some witty or terrific response.

[RADER]

After reading this Thread, I am so glad that I an retired, and out of the job market. Good luck to all.
Rader

[Cristy2]

I don't understand what are they asking because LGBT covers a huge area when you break it down to nuts bolts and washers. Are they asking are you gay or bi or transgendered?? The question in itself is just way too general to even answer.

[giuseppina]

I've been advised that talking about health problems is not a good idea, Lexi. I am highly disinclined to talk about everything else on your list as well. Reason: it gives the employer grounds, lawful or not, to reject me in favour of another candidate.

Women of childbearing age, whether they have children or not, have this issue thrust upon them. Children mean time not spent at work being productive for the company. It isn't legal, but it is all but impossible to prove to the standard required by a court of law to win a judgement against an employer.

It's my experience that employers will turn an illegal discrimination issue into a legitimate reason (eg. performance or fit issue), true or false, to dismiss an employee legally. The ex-employee then has little practical recourse. Even if they do take legal action, that brands them as a troublemaker that no recruiter will touch.