LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. This term refers to people who identify themselves outside of traditional gender roles. They are often discriminated against because they refuse to conform to these roles. Institutional policies of neutrality help protect them from this discrimination.
It also allows the perpetrators to continue their prejudice without consequences.
Institutional policies can include anything from workplace guidelines to legal protections.
An employer may have a policy that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. This policy could be written into company bylaws or even state laws. It would make it illegal for employees to harass or discriminate against LGBT individuals.
Such policies do nothing to prevent other forms of discrimination. An employee might still be denied promotions or opportunities due to their nonconforming behavior. In addition, institutions may not enforce these policies strictly enough to truly create change. As a result, many LGBT individuals face daily struggles despite having institutional protection.
Even when institutions seem to take steps toward equality, there is often a lack of real action.
Companies might offer training programs about diversity but fail to follow up with consistent enforcement. Employees may receive lip service about inclusion but never see any actual results in terms of hiring or promotion. These practices allow institutional neutrality to mask ethical complicity in discrimination. Neutrality gives organizations cover while they maintain the status quo. Without true accountability and action, LGBT individuals will always feel marginalized within their communities.
Institutions often ignore gender expression entirely in their policies. Sexual orientation refers only to who someone loves romantically or sexually. Gender identity relates more broadly to how people express themselves through dress, mannerisms, and physical appearance. Institutions may protect one but not the other. If a transgender person were fired for wearing clothing or hair that did not conform to traditional gender roles, this would still violate their rights under most policies. Therefore, institutions need to go beyond neutrality to address all types of discrimination.
Institutional neutrality on the topic of LGBT issues can hide underlying forms of discrimination. Policies must be more robust and inclusive to ensure equality. They must also be actively monitored to prevent abuses of power. Only then can LGBT individuals truly feel safe and secure within their workplaces or communities.
How do institutional policies of neutrality mask ethical complicity in discrimination against LGBT individuals?
Institutional policies of neutrality are often used as a strategy by organizations to avoid taking sides on controversial issues such as discrimination against LGBT individuals. This policy may seem like a logical approach at first glance, but it can actually have unintended consequences that perpetuate the very discrimination it seeks to prevent.