Photo Courtesy of Edwin Torres/Mayoral Photography Office
“LGBTQI+ New Yorkers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, period,” said Mayor de Blasio.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently lauded the release of “Work It, NYC: A Guide to LGBTQI+ Workplace Inclusivity,” a new resource to help provider organizations deliver higher quality services to LGBTQI+ seekers of education and employment services.
According to the administration, the manual, created through a partnership between the NYC Unity Project and the NYC Center for Youth Employment, addresses the distinct barriers to high quality employment opportunities that many LGBTQI+ people face. These obstacles often are a direct result of stigma, discrimination, and violence experienced in work and educational settings. With awareness, preparation, and strategic interventions targeted to LGBTQI+ peoples’ unique needs, workforce providers can deliver the resources and services needed to support LGBTQI+ people.
The manual, according to Hizzoner, articulates the specific employment and training- related needs of the LGBTQI+ community for workforce professionals. It offers an in-depth overview of how workforce practitioners can create affirming services for LGBTQI+ people of various ages—and why it matters that they do so. Although the manual includes specific information about disparities that face LGBTQI+ youth, and targeted resources to support them, it is intended to support LGBTQI+ people of all ages.
Highlights of “Work It, NYC…” include:
Key Concepts and Vocabulary. To serve the LGBTQI+ community well, it is imperative to understand different LGBTQI+ identities and be familiar with and appropriately use LGBTQI+ terminology and the most respectful language.
Obligations Under the Law. A guide to the legal obligations that organizations and employers have to LGBTQI+ people, as well as resources available to LGBTQI+ individuals.
Building a Safe(r) Space. How to center the importance of maintaining a trauma-informed lens in work with LGBTQI+ communities, information for supporting transgender, gender nonconforming, and non-binary program participants, and tips on establishing an LGBTQI+-friendly environment within workforce programs.
Making Affirming Placements and Referrals. How to get information from employers and other referral sites, which includes asking pointed questions about an employer’s experiences with LGBTQI+ people and cultural competency training.
De Blasio said the manual also can serve as a complement to in-person training sessions, and as a resource brought back to workforce programs by people who have undergone training, to digestibly summarize their training to those who were not able to attend.
“LGBTQI+ New Yorkers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, period,” the mayor said. “The ‘Work It, NYC’ manual will give our providers and local organizations the tools to better serve LGBTQI+ jobseekers as we emerge from the pandemic and create an economy that works for everyone.”
City Human Resources Administrator Gary Jenkins added, “An inclusive workforce is a stronger workforce, and the ‘Work It, NYC’ guide will give provider organizations and partners a helpful toolkit for developing strategies and best practices that foster a more-welcoming workplace for the LGBTQI+ community.”
“Work It, NYC: A Guide to LGBTQI+ Workplace Inclusivity” can be accessed at nyc.gov/lgbtqwork.
