Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are challenged daily regarding the lack of emotional supportfrom employers in acknowledging cultural differences. The LGB population is at high risk for heterosexistdiscrimination despite new employment laws that protect individuals from termination based on sexualorientation. Previously completed research indicated that LGB employees who felt supported emotionallyin the workplace showed a higher rate of future employee recruitment, increased productivity, quickadjustment periods for new employees, decreased stress, and were committed to their agency. Thepurpose of this research study was to develop strategies to help the LGB population feel supported in theworkplace. The strategies were identified from anonymous surveys completed by employees in thedevelopmental disability support field. The study participants are members of the Advancing StrongLeadership program for North Carolina Developmental Disability (DD) Professionals. Participants sharedtheir personal perceptions of how supportive their agency is for the LGB population. The results showedthat 86.36% of the survey participants felt a change could be made to their agency to help increasesupport and acceptance for LGB employees. There were 16.6% of the employees that identified as LGB from public and non-profit agencies. The results suggest strategies for improving agency climate for LGB workers.
