Helping Bisexual Colleagues Feel Welcome in the Workplace

“Hosting events centered around bisexuality and marking bisexual calendar events helps bisexual colleagues feel seen.” Richard Harrall, Senior Client Services Coordinator for Mercer Marsh Benefits, and member of Marsh McLennan’s UK Pride Resource Group, spoke to myGwork about identifying as bisexual in the workplace. He shared advice for people who want to help make their bisexual colleagues feel more welcome, as well as describing his own experiences.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at your organization. 

Hi, my name is Richard Harrall, my pronouns are he/him, I’m a bisexual cis male, and I work as a Senior Client Services Coordinator for Mercer Marsh Benefits. I’m also a member of the Marsh McLennan UK Pride Resource Group. 

Can you tell us a bit about your coming out journey? 

I’m still not out to everybody in my life. I’m out to most of my close friends, and at work. But I’m not out to my family (although my mum & sister probably worked it out after posting about attending Bi Pride UK at the beginning of September 2023). At work I came out first to my team in the run up to Pride month last year and became more and more visible after getting involved with our Pride resource group a month or two later.

Image Credit: Canva

Have you always been comfortable being out in the workplace? 

No. My current company is the first workplace that I’ve felt comfortable being out as queer. There were openly LGBTQ+ people in my team when I first joined, and it became more of a conversation in the run up to Pride 2022, as my direct line manager was a very vocal ally and heavily involved in organizing the local company Pride events. After getting involved in the Pride resource group, I felt more confident to be more open about my sexuality to the wider company, including promoting the Pride group in meetings with other departments. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to come out as bisexual in the workplace? 

Do it at your own pace, don’t feel any pressure to do it before you’re ready, and you don’t have to do it all at once. Also find out if your company has a Pride/LGBTQ+ resource group. 

What do you think workplaces can do to make this easier? 

Visible representation of LGBTQ+ colleagues and active allies at leadership level, and People Managers being vocal allies to queer colleagues. 

What can ERG’s do to ensure they are inclusive of the B in LGBTQ+? 

Taking part in initiatives like this is a great start. Hosting events centered around bisexuality and marking bisexual calendar events helps bisexual colleagues feel seen. 

What do you want to see more of in allyship to the bisexual community? 

The biggest thing that anybody can do to help is not to assume people’s sexuality based on their current or previous partner.  

What are some of the common myths and misconceptions around bisexuality? 

That we are half gay & half straight, rather than being a separate identity in its own right. Or that we’re gay & just haven’t fully admitted it to ourselves yet.