White Normativity: The Cultural Dimensions of Whiteness in a Racially Diverse LGBT Organization

Abstract

This article builds on examinations of whiteness in organizations by considering how white normativity-or the often unconscious and invisible ideas and practices that make whiteness appear natural and right-is sustained even in organizations that are attentive to structural factors. Based on two years of ethnographic fieldwork, this article critically examines the racial identity and culture of the Center, a Los Angeles lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organization with a national reputation for multiculturalism, a visible presence of people of color in leadership, and a staff of more than 50 percent people of color. Despite these indicators of racial diversity, the organization also maintained a local reputation among queer people of color as the white LGBT organization in Los Angeles. The author demonstrates that the Center's formal and public attempts to build and proclaim a racially diverse collective identity, along with its reliance on mainstream diversity frames available in the broader environment, became the very practices that employees of color identified as evidence of the white normative culture of the organization.

Muslim employees within ‘white’ organizations: the case of Moroccan workers in the Netherlands

“…Whiteness is mostly used as a concept in US-based studies (Essed & Trienekens, 2008), but our study has shown that incorporating this concept in the study of European (Dutch) organization can provide new insights in minorities' experiences and identity work. It appeared to be a fruitful approach to shed light on whiteness as a cultural formation embedded in organizations (Ward, 2008) which impacts non-white employees. Approaching organizations as 'white' helped to understand how employees with a different religious background than the dominant (atheist or Christian) background fit or do not fit within the organizations in which they are embedded and how they engaged in agency within that space.…”

“…She argued that diversity management could be improved if whiteness was taken into account. This is evidenced by Ward's (2008) study on an L.A.-based LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual) center. She showed how white normativity informed the organization's efforts to diversify for the sake of their ethnically heterogeneous target group: The organization's white culture was sustained by its mainstream and corporate approach to diversity rather than becoming diversity-friendly.…”

“…As Caucasian/white people have historically dominated Western European organizations, their values and interests form the basis for organizational practices (Nkomo, 1992;Ward, 2008). Though seemingly neutral, the legal and employment structures of white organizations render people different who have a religion and culture that deviates from the norms, values, and practices of these white organizations (Subeliani & Tsogas, 2005;Syed, 2007).…”

Straight Gods, White Devils: Exploring Paths to Non-Religion in the Lives of Black LGBTQ People

“…For example, one of my participants noted that all the gay bars she checked out were not only for gay men, reflecting a dearth of lesbian spaces, but that some had Irish or Italian flags on the outside, which made her unlikely to go inside. Instances like that are an example of how white LGBTQ spaces alienate people of color (Kudler 2007, Ward 2008 in addition to microaggressions (Sue et al 2007, Nadal 2011 and discrimination (for an overview, see Balsam et al 2011, Ghabrial 2016. Facing multiple exclusions, my participants struggled with finding spaces and communities that would safely incorporate all of their identities.…”

A Model of Organizational Context and Shared Decision Making: Application to LGBT Racial and Ethnic Minority Patients

“…33 ○ Take a sexual history and screen for health conditions that are prevalent based on risk behaviors (i.e. HIV) and not on sexual orientation or identity 33 -Nurture commitment to reduce disparities 54,55 -Partner with LGBT community organizations to provide training to all staff on a regular basis 33,39 6. Incentives and Disincentives…”