Culture of CARE & LGBTQ+ Pride — Throughout the month of June, AGC of Washington celebrates the LGBTQ+ community’s contribution to and place in the construction industry.
LGBTQ+ (and other similar acronyms) represents both gender and sexual orientation identities. Some may question why this topic has a place on the job site. The answers include:
- Team safety: Our people’s safety increases with trust and transparency on our teams.
- The role of family in our people’s lives: To create a job site where all our people understand they are welcome, we need to build relationships with our teammates. These relationships often start with stories about each other’s loved ones and weekend plans.
- Conditions of employment: When at work, we are expected to conduct ourselves in accordance with jobsite and company policies that prohibit harassment, violence, bullying and discrimination. We are role models to our partners and communities.
The LGBTQ+ community is faced daily with the decision of whether to share information that represents who they are but could put them at risk of harassment. Living in fear requires an enormous amount of mental strain. In an industry with alarming mental health statistics and growing labor needs, biases that result in fear are not healthy for our people or our crews.
Studies show that LGBTQ+ employees positively impact organizations’ bottom line. Despite a direct correlation between LGBTQ+ inclusion and economic returns, many leadership teams fail to understand the importance of having policies and regulations that protect and empower these employees.
Ideas for Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the Construction Workplace
- Conduct a jobsite Toolbox Talk (see Resources below)
- Distribute stickers to demonstrate our industry’s support of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. AGC members can order Pride Month hard hat stickers by emailing pschmitt@agcwacom.
- Distribute a statement from your leadership
(like this video from member company Hensel Phelps)
- Take your work truck to an LGBTQ+ maintenance shop (Repair Revolution), buy company swag from a local LGBTQ+ vendor (B-BAM!) or order lunch for your crew from a local LGBTQ+ restaurateur (Marination Ma Kai)! Maybe order cupcakes for your crew one day! Cupcake Royale
Find more on Intentionalist.com – LGBTQ-owned Small Business Directory
On-the-job Resources
- AGC of Washington:
- LGTBQ+ Pride Month Awareness and Inclusion Website
- Building Up LGBTQ+ Pride in Construction Resource Poster
- LGBTQ+ Inclusion – Acronyms and Microsignals Toolbox Talk
- LGBTQ+ Inclusion – The Platinum Rule Toolbox Talk
- Webinar: LGBTQ & Gender Biases, Morgan Mentzer | May 18, 2021
- RISE UP Pronouns Toolbox Talk
- The Campaign for Historic Trades Resources for LGBTQ Inclusion in the Trades
Podcasts and Reading List
- History is Gay: Episode #14 The Labor Struggle is Real Queer
- Working Class History: Episode #27 Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, part 1 (see also part 2 and 3)
- “Steel Closets: Voices of Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Steelworkers,” by Anne Balay
- “Semi Queer: Inside the World of Gay, Trans and Black Truck Drivers,” by Anne Balay
Mental Health
Everyone has a gender identity and sexual orientation. Among U.S. adult’s 4.5 percent identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Personal, family, and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity affects the mental health and personal and physiological safety of LGBT individuals. The more we understand the more we can do to be present and be an ally. Below are resources to further help us understand.
- Online Therapy Guide for LGBTQ+ Youth
- The Trevor Project
- SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
- National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color
- Human Rights Campaign: QTBIPOC Mental Health and Well-Being
Industry Support and Mentorship Organizations
- Reckoning Trade Project
Reckoning Trade Project is dedicated to widening employment opportunities in the skilled trades for women, communities of color, and LGBTQIA+ workers. Visit for meetups and resources. - Build Out Alliance
Build Out Alliance promotes and advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community within the building design and construction industry.