Chapter 5: Identity Management Strategies of LGB Workers Who are Racioethnic Minorities

Due to the rising prevalence of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people in the workplace and supportive policies and practices concerning sexual minorities in some contexts globally (Pichler & Ruggs, 2015), LGB workers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of disclosing their sexual identity at work. Mounting research evidence, that has primarily been conducted in Western and majority White countries (e.g., Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States), suggests that “coming out” is linked to positive work attitudes among LGB workers (Button, 2001; Griffith & Hebl, 2002; Ragins & Cornwell, 2001; Trau, 2015). However, scholars have noted that much of existing research in Western and majority White contexts has examined a perspective that positions White and middle-class individuals as the social norm. Thus, theorizing on identity management, or the “strategic decisions individuals make regarding how they present their social identities to others” (Lyons, Wessel, Ghumman, Ryan, & Kim, 2014, p. 678), has not been sensitive to, and inclusive of, the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities of the LGB population.