Bisexuality and Diversity Management — Addressing the B in LGBT as a Relevant ‘Sexual Orientation’ in the Workplace

With the emergence of diversity management in Europe, more and more organizations see ‘sexual orientation’ or ‘sexual identity’ as a relevant field of action. In terms of concrete actions, European organizations primarily adopt the most common measures that are implemented by U.S. organizations. Thus, although they often utilize the term ‘LGBT’ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual), they mainly focus on homosexual employees. Against this background, this article analyzes the suitability of the most common diversity management measures of ‘sexual orientation’ to contribute to an amelioration of the workplace situation for bisexual employees. The analysis is based on quantitative data of 77 bisexual employees working in Germany, to which a regression model and correlation analyses were methodically applied. Results show that only the internal thematization of bi- and homosexuality positively affects the working climate for bisexual employees, whereas the existence of external gay marketing campaigns negatively affects it. Furthermore, it becomes obvious that a supportive working climate results in a higher degree of openness and decreased pressure to conceal or deny one’s bisexuality at work