What Real Inclusion Looks Like at Work When You’re LGBTQ+ 7 | 23

Jun 4, 2025

Brandy Neal, a producer and script editor, shares her journey as a bisexual woman navigating the workplace. In a candid discussion, she tackles the challenges of LGBTQ+ invisibility, the pressures of pronoun politics, and the complexities of coming out. Brandy and her host highlight the importance of fostering true inclusivity, stressing that showing up authentically matters more than perfection. Their conversation sheds light on the emotional toll of hiding one's identity and the essential role of allyship in creating supportive environments.

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INSIGHT

LGBTQ+ Workplace Disclosure Fears

Nearly half of LGBTQ+ employees fear coming out at work might harm their careers.
Many hide their identity fearing job loss, missed promotions, or project exclusion.

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ADVICE

Respect Personal Identity Labels

Ask individuals how they prefer to be identified instead of assuming the 'right' words.
Avoid forcing pronoun or label usage; respect personal identity preferences.

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ANECDOTE

Kim's Dating Isolation Story

Kim Scott started dating women alone in bars due to lack of options in the mid-1990s.
This created a double life feeling, isolated from mainstream social circles at business school.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating LGBTQ+ Identities in the Workplace

02:43 • 9min

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Navigating Identity and Relationships

11:30 • 14min

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Navigating Identity and Inclusivity

25:03 • 4min

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Navigating Identity in the Workplace

29:17 • 9min

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Navigating Inclusivity in the Workplace

37:52 • 20min

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Addressing Language and Embracing Constructive Feedback

57:41 • 3min

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Radical Candor

Be a Kick-ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

Kim Scott

Radical Candor by Kim Scott offers a practical approach to management by emphasizing the importance of caring personally and challenging directly. The book argues that effective managers must find a balance between being empathetic and providing clear, honest feedback. Scott draws from her experiences at Google and Apple to provide actionable lessons on building strong relationships, giving feedback, and creating a collaborative work environment. The book introduces the concept of 'radical candor' as the sweet spot between obnoxious aggression and ruinous empathy, and provides tools and strategies for managers to implement this approach in their daily work[1][2][5].

Just Work

Russell Muirhead

In 'Just Work,' Russell Muirhead delves into the meaning and justice of work in modern democracies. He argues that work should be evaluated not just on its instrumental value (wages and benefits) but also on its personal and social fit. Muirhead defines fit through two dimensions: social fit, which aligns individual abilities with societal needs, and personal fit, which considers the extent to which work is fulfilling. The book critiques the current pecuniary emphasis on work and advocates for a balance between work, family, and community, highlighting the importance of work in a life well lived and its impact on human dignity and social justice.

We’re celebrating Pride Month, and to kick us off, Amy and Brandi get real about the unfiltered, often uncomfortable truth of being LGBTQ+ in the workplace—where invisibility can feel safer than honesty, and “inclusion” doesn’t always include you. In this 'best of' episode, they unpack the messy layers of LGBTQ+ identity at work—from pronoun politics and people-pleasing to being “the only one” in the room. If you’ve ever felt unseen at work—or want to ensure your team doesn’t have to—this one’s for you. Showing up matters more than getting it perfect.

Get all of the show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠RadicalCandor.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Episode Links:

Transcript
Radically Candid Pride: Coming Out at Work
Coming Out – Human Rights Campaign
7 Myths About Coming Out at Work
Coming Out at Work
Pride Month Shows Employers Have a Long Way to Go
Supporting LGBTQ+ Workers’ Mental Health
Beyond rainbow washing: Supporting LGBTQ+ at work and beyond
How to support the LGBTQ+ community at work and beyond
What Not To Say to Someone Who Has Come Out As Bisexual
Coming out at work: transgender scientists share their stories
Nearly half of LGBTQ employees in the US think being “out” at work is a bad career move
Why Bisexual Adults Report Higher Rates of Mental Distress – The New York Times
The 10 Most Groundbreaking Bisexual Characters of All Time
Your Guide to the Best Online LGBTQ+ Counseling Options in 2023
Read the ‘Yep, I’m Gay’ Ellen DeGeneres Interview From 1997
Attitude: As Bisexual Awareness Week approaches, four bisexuals tell us if they feel accepted in 2023

Connect:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Kim and Amy introduce the episode focusing on coming out at work.

(00:01:42) Why Representation Matters

Statistics on workplace discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ employees.

(00:05:22) Pronouns, Labels & Personal Identity

The limiting nature of pronouns and labelling oneself.

(00:09:52) Living a Double Life

Dating secretly and the sense of being "othered" in mainstream culture.

(00:13:06) The Limited Supply

The isolation created by the absence of a visible queer community.

(00:17:37) The Spiritual Journey & Other Closets

How the act of coming out led to a deeper exploration of spirituality.

(00:19:37) The Cost of Hiding at Work

The emotional and psychological toll of being closeted in the workplace.

(00:21:04) Finally Coming Out at Work

The slow, iterative process of coming out and how Radical Candor helped.

(00:23:21) The Bisexual Experience at Work

The unique stigmas bisexuals face within and outside LGBTQ+ spaces.

(00:28:15) Words, Labels & Inner Homophobia

The complexity of identity labels and how internalized bias can shape them.

(00:32:37) The Power of Representation in Media

The importance of media characters who normalize LGBTQ+.

(00:36:26) Inclusion & the Privilege of Presentation

Soliciting inclusive feedback and how privilege shapes perceptions.

(00:40:21) Hair as Identity & Microaggressions

A painful but powerful story about being judged for appearances.

(00:43:40) Being the Only One in the Room

The exhaustion of being the sole representative of marginalized identities.

(00:46:30) Making Mistakes & Owning Them

The role of feedback and straight allies in creating inclusive spaces.

(00:49:43) What Allies Can Do

A story about support when encountering a homophobic comment.

(00:52:03) Setting Boundaries

The importance of respecting privacy and rejecting invasive curiosity

(00:54:29) Radical Candor Tips

Key takeaways on supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues

(00:58:12) Conclusion

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