Being ‘That Token Gay Guy’: Experiencing Minority Stress in Swedish Workplaces
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18291/njwls.163344Keywords:
Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing, Gender, Ethnicity, Age and Diversity, Identity, Meaning & CultureAbstract
Employers in Sweden are mandated to take active measures to prevent discrimination against sexual minorities. While it is important that relevant measures are taken, knowledge is lacking about cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people’s minority stress experiences at Swedish workplaces. The present work is based on a thematic analysis of interviews with 53 cisgender LGB participants, focusing on how they experienced and dealt with minority stress experiences at work. Results are drawing on the minority stress model and illustrate experiences of distal minority stress due to a heteronormative work climate. This distal stress led to proximal stressors, such as constantly being on guard. Participants took considerable responsibility for others’ feelings, felt a responsibility to educate on LGBTQ issues, and sometimes engaged in formal policy work to improve workplace conditions. The study points at the importance of shifting the burden of workplace minority stress from individual LGB people to employers.
Author Biographies
Anna Malmquist, Linköping University
Senior Associate Professor, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning. E-mail: anna.malmquist@liu.se
Matilda Wurm, Örebro University
Associate Professor, Institution for Law, Psychology, and Social work
Therese Ek, Linköping University
Master of Psychology, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning
Rosaline Lönnroth, Linköping University
Master of Psychology, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning
Tove Lundberg, Lund University
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
References
Aldén, L., Hammarstedt, M., & Swahnberg, H. (2020). Sexual orientation and job satisfaction: Survey-based evidence from Sweden. Journal of Labor Research, 41, 69–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12122-019-09297-w
Andersson, L. M., & Pearson, C. M. (1999). Tit for tat? The spiraling effect of incivility in the workplace. Academy of Management Review, 24(3), 452–471.
Beagan, B. L., Mohamed, T., Brooks, K., Waterfield, B., & Weinberg, M. (2021). Microaggressions experienced by LGBTQ academics in Canada: “Just not fitting in… it does take a toll.” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 34(3), 197–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2020.1735556
Björk, S., & Wahlström, M. (2018). Normer som skaver: Hbtq-personers sociala arbetsmiljö i Göteborgs Stad. (Forskningsrapporter i Sociologi, 2018:148). Göteborgs universitet. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.26850.17601
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–110. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Sage.
Bränström, R. (2017). Minority stress factors as mediators of sexual orientation disparities in mental health treatment: A longitudinal population-based study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 71(5), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2016-207943
Cortina, L. M. (2008). Unseen injustice: Incivility as modern discrimination in organizations. The Academy of Management Review, 33(1), 55–75. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20159376
Cortina, L. M., Kabat-Farr, D., Leskinen, E. A., Huerta, M., & Magley, V. J. (2013). Selective incivility as modern discrimination in organizations: Evidence and impact. Journal of Management, 39(6), 1579–1605.
DeSouza, E. R., Wesselmann, E. D., & Ispas, D. (2017). Workplace discrimination against sexual minorities: Subtle and not‐so‐subtle. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue canadienne des sciences de l'administration, 34(2), 121–132.
DiLuigi, G., Claréus, B., Mejías Nihlén, T., Malmquist, A., Wurm, M., & Lundberg, T. (2023). Psychometric exploration of the Swedish translation of the Sexual Orientation Microaggressions Scale (SOMS), and a commentary on validity of the construct of microaggressions. Journal of Homosexuality, 71(14), 3230–3253. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2023.2284809
European Agency for Fundamental Rights. (2020). A long way to go for LGBTQ equality. http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2020/eu-lgbti-survey-results
European Commission Directorate-General for Communication. (2019). Special Eurobarometer 493: Discrimination in the EU (including LGBTI) Version 1.00 [Dataset]. http://data.europa.eu/88u/dataset/S2251_91_4_493_ENG
Frost, D. M., & Meyer, I. H. (2023). Minority stress theory: Application, critique, and continued relevance. Current Opinion in Psychology, 51, 101579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101579
Gates, T. G., & Mitchell, C. G. (2013). Workplace stigma-related experiences among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: Implications for social policy and practice. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 28(3), 159–171. https://doi.org/10.1080/15555240.2013.808066
Giuffre, P., Dellinger, K., & Williams, C. L. (2008). “No retribution for being gay?”: Inequality in gay-friendly workplaces. Sociological Spectrum, 28(3), 254–277.
Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2009). How does sexual minority stigma “get under the skin”? A psychological mediation framework. Psychological bulletin, 135(5), 707.
Holman, E. G., Ogolsky, B. G., & Oswald, R. F. (2022). Concealment of a sexual minority identity in the workplace: The role of workplace climate and identity centrality. Journal of Homosexuality, 69(9), 1467–1484. https://doi-org.e.bibl.liu.se/10.1080/00918369.2021.1917219
Holton, M. K., Barry, A. E., & Chaney, J. D. (2015). Employee stress management: An examination of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies on employee health. Work, 53(2), 299–305. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-152145
Hultberg, A., Ahlborg, G. jr., Jonsdottir, I. H., Winroth, J., Corin, L., & Heimdahl, M. (2018). Hälsa på arbetsplatsen. En sammanställning av kunskap och metoder. Institutet för stressmedicin. https://mellanarkiv-offentlig.vgregion.se/alfresco/s/archive/stream/public/v1/source/available/sofia/hos1697-550018648-18958/surrogate/ISM-rapport%202018-21-H%C3%A4lsa%20p%C3%A5%20arbetsplatsen.pdf
Lloren, A., & Parini, L. (2017). How LGBT-supportive workplace policies shape the experience of lesbian, gay men, and bisexual employees. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 14(3), 289–299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-016-0253-x
LO (2011). Öppenhet i arbetslivet. https://www.lo.se/home/lo/res.nsf/vres/lo_fakta_1366027492914_oppenhet_i_arb_liv_webb_pdf/$file/Oppenhet_i_arb_liv_webb.pdf
Lundberg, T., Wurm, M., & Malmquist, A. (2022). Att göra livet (över)levbart: Transpersoners ontiska, relationella och reflekterande arbete för att hantera utsatthet i vardagen. [Making life survive/livable: Trans people’s ontic, relational and reflexive work to cope with negative experiences in everyday life] Tidskrift för genusvetenskap, 43(1), 43(1), 7–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.55870/tgv.v43i1.10003
Lysova, E. I., Allan, B. A., Dik, B. J., Duffy, R. D., & Steger, M. F. (2019). Fostering meaningful work in organizations: A multi-level review and integration. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 110, 374–389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.07.004
Maji, S., Yadav, N., & Gupta, P. (2024). LGBTQ+ in workplace: A systematic review and reconsideration. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 43(2), 313–360. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-02-2022-0049
Malmquist, A., Lundberg, T. & Wurm, M. (2023). Minority stress and microaggression experiences among sexual minority women in Sweden. Lambda Nordica, 28(4), 71–99. https://doi.org/10.34041/ln.v28.919
Malterud, K., & Bjorkman, M. (2016). The invisible work of closeting: A qualitative study about strategies used by lesbian and gay persons to conceal their sexual orientation. Journal of Homosexuality, 63(10), 1339–1354. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2016.1157995
Mattheis, A., Cruz-Ramírez de Arellano, D., & Yoder, J. B. (2020). A model of STEM identity in the workplace. Journal of Homosexuality, 67(13), 1839–1863. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2019.1610632
McDermott, E. & Roen, K. (2016). Queer youth, suicide and self-harm: Troubled subjects, troubling norms. Springer.
Melton, E. N., & Cunningham, G. B. (2014). Examining the workplace experiences of sport employees who are LGBT: A social categorization theory perspective. Journal of Sport Management, 28, 21–33. https://doi.org/10.1123/JSM.2011-0157
Mejías Nihlén, T., Lundberg, T., Wurm, M., & Malmquist, A. (2025). Trans and gender-diverse people’s experiences of openness and concealment at work in Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.13103
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674
Moya, M., & Moya-Garófano, A. (2020). Discrimination, work stress, and psychological well-being in LGBTI workers in Spain. Psychosocial Intervention, 29(2), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.5093/pi2020a5
Nadal, K. L., Whitman, C. N., Davis, L. S., Erazo, T., & Davidoff, K. C. (2016). Microaggressions toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and genderqueer people: A review of the literature. Journal of Sex Research, 53(4–5), 488–508. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2016.1142495
Nordic Council of Ministers (2024). What works and for whom? An overview of employment instruments among vulnerable groups in the Nordics. https://nordicwelfare.org/integration-norden/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/temanord2024-546.pdf
Resnick, C. A., & Galupo, M. P. (2019). Assessing experiences with LGBT microaggressions in the workplace: Development and validation of the microaggression experiences at work scale. Journal of Homosexuality, 66(10), 1380–1403. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1542207
Riggs, D. W., & Treharne, G. J. (2017). Decompensation: A novel approach to accounting for stress arising from the effects of ideology and social norms. Journal of homosexuality, 64(5), 592–605. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2016.1194116
Saunders, S. L., & Nedelec, B. (2014). What work means to people with work disability: A scoping review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 24(1), 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-013-9436-y
Smith, I. A., & Griffiths, A. (2022). Microaggressions, everyday discrimination, workplace incivilities, and other subtle slights at work: A meta-synthesis. Human Resource Development Review, 21(3), 275–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843221098756
Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise [SAWEE] (2022). HBTQ-personers organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljö – en kunskapssammanställning. (Kunskapssammanställning 2022:7). https://mynak.se/publikationer/hbtq-personers-sociala-och-organisatoriska-arbetsmiljo/
Takács, J., Szalma, I., & Bartus, T. (2016). Social attitudes toward adoption by same-sex couples in Europe. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45, 1787–1798. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0691-9
The Swedish Discrimination Act [2008:567] 2023. https://www.do.se/choose-language/english/discriminationact-2008567 (accessed on 7 April 2023).
Thuillier, J., Almudever, B., & Croity-Belz, S. (2022). Perceived workplace discrimination and disclosure at work among lesbian and gay employees: The role of prior coming out experiences in different life domains. Journal of Homosexuality, 69(11), 1819–1841. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2021.1933784
Ueno, K., Jackson, T. M., Ingram, R., Grace, J., & Šaras, E. D. (2020). Sexual minority young adults’ construction of workplace acceptance in the era of diversity and inclusion. Social Currents, 7(2), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329496519888539
Velez, B. L., Moradi, B., & Brewster, M. E. (2013). Testing the tenets of minority stress theory in workplace contexts. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60(4), 532–542. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033346
Wessel, J. L. (2017). The importance of allies and allied organizations: Sexual orientation disclosure and concealment at work. Journal of Social Issues, 73(2), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12214
Zurbrügg, L., & Miner, K. N. (2016). Gender, sexual orientation, and workplace incivility: Who is most targeted and who is most harmed? Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 565. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00565
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Author and Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Copyright Holder of this Journal is the authors and the Journal. Normally the journal use the CC-BY NC-ND 4.0 licence.
Exceptions to the license terms may be granted
If you want to use content in the Journal in another way then described by this license, you must contact the licensor and ask for permission. Contact Annica Asp at annica.asp@kau.se. Exceptions are always given for specific purposes and specific content only.
Sherpa/Romeo
The Journal is listed as a blue journal in Sherpa/Romeo, meaning that the author can archive post-print ((ie final draft post-refereeing) and author can archive publisher's version/PDF.
Copyright of others
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere.
Archives policy
All published material is archived at the Danish Royal Library in conformity with the Danish rules of legal deposit.
Plagiarism screening
We do not screen articles for plagiarism. It is the responsibility of the authors to make sure they do not plagiate.
