Incorporating Queers: Blowback, Backlash, and Other Forms of Resistance to Workplace Diversity Initiatives That Support Sexual Minorities

The problem and the solution. The Academy of Human Resource Development's Standards on Ethics and Integrity states that,"HRD professionals accord appropriate respect to the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth of all people." This article offers insights into the resistance encountered when organizations acknowledge the worth of sexual minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and self-identified Queer (LGBTQ) individuals occupy complex and contradictory worlds in organizations, including the workplace. Causes of backlash, also known as blowback, to diversity change in the context of LGBTQ rights and dignity are presented. It lays out evidence-based practices that may help human resource development professionals to avoid resistance that can result from their attempts to transform organizations into fully inclusive places.