LGBTQ+ employees answer the questions their colleagues were afraid to ask

Questions about coming out, pronouns, same-sex parenting and LGBTQ+ life can sometimes go unasked at work because people worry about saying the wrong thing. One company has decided to turn that uncertainty into an opportunity for its employees to talk, listen and learn from each other.

Global environmental and engineering company RSK Group⁠ has launched You Can’t RSK That, an internal initiative inviting its employees to anonymously submit questions about the lived experiences of their LGBTQIA+ colleagues.

Members of RSK’s own Pride Network answered the questions in a video shared across the organisation. The conversations covered topics including getting pronouns right, experiences of coming out, same-sex parenting and some of the challenges different LGBTQ+ people can encounter.

The campaign was created by RSK Pride Network Chair Lewis Castle and inspired by You Can’t Ask That, a format that uses anonymous questions to encourage conversations with groups whose experiences may be misunderstood.

Lewis said the discussions generated by the questions were exactly why the campaign had been created.

“The discussions that were had as a result of these questions were exactly why we wanted to launch this campaign in the first place,” he said.

RSK Pride Network member Bevis Musson also took part, sharing his own experiences and highlighting how greater visibility can help LGBTQ+ people feel seen while giving colleagues outside the community an opportunity to understand experiences different from their own.

Fellow network member Robbie Baxter also highlighted the value of open conversations, particularly when discussing subjects people may initially feel uncomfortable approaching. Supportive colleagues and allies can help create an environment where those conversations become easier.

RSK plans to expand the You Can’t RSK That idea within the company, with its Neurodiversity, Women’s, Armed Forces and Accessibility employee networks among those set to create their own versions.

For RSK’s LGBTQ+ employees, the campaign turns questions that might previously have remained unspoken into positive conversations. By creating space for people to ask, listen and share their experiences, the Pride Network is helping colleagues understand each other better and making inclusion something people actively take part in.

More information about the campaign, the Pride Network and RSK’s wider inclusion work is being shared through the company’s official Instagram page.

Follow @therskgroup on Instagram⁠ for the latest updates.