- 25 June 2024
LGBTIQA+ Workplace Inclusion Action Plan 2024–28
Just wanna put a little bit on both of the eyebrows. We're a bit shiny there. Okay.
Aaron Duff, Manager: I think it's really important for people to be themselves when they're at work because that's when they can be their best.
Fran Rauseo, Complaints Officer: I think everybody else gets to be themselves. So I've spent a lot of years trying to be like everybody else and I don't want to be. I feel that being myself is contributing to a better workplace.
Dan Dorazio, Deputy Secretary: We spend a third of our lives here at work, so if you're not having a good experience, it's pretty miserable.
Toby Sherring, Principal Project Manager: If you are having to mask who you are in the workplace or pretend to be someone else for fears of discrimination or bullying or ostracism, that's actually a really unhealthy work environment to be in.
Katherine Whetton, Deputy Secretary: I want people to come to work feeling comfortable and proud of who they are and that they can bring their whole self to work.
Tracey Chung, Manager: I came out a bit later in life and I don't even remember the first 10 years of my professional working career. And since I've become a lot more comfortable in my identity and I'm being my true self.
Katherine Whetton, Deputy Secretary: I think managers play a really important role in LGBTIQA+ inclusion in the workplace. Everyone brings a different perspective to their work and to their life.
Dan Dorazio, Deputy Secretary: The most important thing to do is just listen.
You will learn so much from the people around you, from the experience that they have, is how you'll learn what you can do better.
Tracey Chung, Manager: It's more just the small or quiet moments: when you get a platform to speak, when you get to participate and talk about queer issues at meetings, it makes us feel like we matter.
Dan Dorazio, Deputy Secretary: They don't have to be big things. Every little thing makes a difference. And I think we as leaders are responsible for how people feel when they come to work.
Fran Rauseo, Complaints Officer: Having that support from the higher level really does encourage the rest of the department to jump on board.
Toby Sherring, Principal Project Manager: We also have the benefit of wonderful staff who wear their pride lanyards, who have their pronouns in their signature blocks, and who take the time to show up to our pride events and actually be part of the community. And what that does is actually quite powerful. It creates an environment where LGBT people are not just surviving, but thriving. They're not just tolerated but celebrated.
Luke Oehlmann, Executive Assistant: I think my favorite experience would have to be the prime march in St. Kilda this year. That was a really great moment. It just was great to be able to march with the work that I love, but also to just be a proud member of the community and also have our Secretary march with us. I think it just really showed how much department really is leading by example.
Katherine Whetton, Deputy Secretary: I think it's actually pretty easy to be an active ally. You need to listen for people's perspectives and call out behavior where it's not okay.
Aaron Duff, Manager: Educating yourself and educating others is a really important thing to show allyship support.
Tracey Chung, Manager: You don't have to read hundreds of pages of documents or review policies and procedures. Just take an interest and ask questions.
Aaron Duff, Manager: I want to create a workplace where everyone feels included and where we can celebrate people's difference. I'm really confident that our new LGBTIQA+ Action Plan will help get us there.
Toby Sherring, Principal Project Manager: There are lots of practical things in there that everybody can take leadership on. in terms of striving toward better inclusion at the department and, and being a good ally.
Aaron Duff, Manager: The vision of the action plan is ambitious. It is for the department to become the most inclusive LGBTIQA+ employer in the state. But to get there, we've all gotta take part in this
So to learn more about the plan, go to our inclusion SharePoint page. It is housed there. And you can also reach out to the inclusion team to learn more too.
Reviewed 26 June 2024