Experiential homophobia would be best tackled by enabling individuals to simply meet other gay men and women - in this way the employee can put their bad experience in context. Many gay support organisations offer speaker and contact programmes for such purposes and may provide a good starting point for a Corporation to declare its intentions.

Countering defensive homophobia may be assisted not only by enabling employees to meet homosexuals but by individual counselling to uncover the underlying insecurities.

Symbolic homophobia is the most difficult to counter as the anti-gay individual's chosen identity is at stake. Such cases will often be extremely resistant to changing their attitudes.

In all cases the employer must emphasis that behaviour and not beliefs is the issue 59. Non-discriminatory behaviour does not have to require acceptance and a corporation committed to diversity would react in as similar manner as it would to:

• sending a person of colour to a racist client,
• politically opposed Jews and Arabs sharing an office or
• those employees holding strong moral positions on serving alcohol at company functions or to divorce and remarriage 60.

It is important to stress that certain behaviour in the workplace is unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action if not ceased.

As with any change in organisational culture the provision of an environment where gay men and women can be open about their sexual orientation requires commitment at the highest level - both in actions and in words.

The change itself is likely to focus attention on gay employees as they will become the centre of discussion, taxed by colleagues wanting to know 'what it's like' and possibly subjected to homophobic attacks. Such employees will need support during this period, particularly if they are not open.

Known homophobes could receive individual support and counselling to overcome their own stress apart from any company-wide diversity training 61.

Revising Corporate policies

It is not sufficient to claim to have such a policy - it must be in writing and disseminated. A recent survey of leading US companies found that whilst 63% claim to have a non-discrimination policy towards homosexuals only 38% have such a policy in writing 62.

The policy needs to be formally expressed to have weight - only by doing so will it clearly say "we are referring to you" to both homosexuals and homophobes alike.

A Gay-friendly Workplace

Reactive

• immediately removing homophobic graffiti
• censoring anti-gay comments or jokes as unwelcomed
• tracing harassing phone calls
• disciplining employees or mangers that fail to meet required and specified standards of behaviour

Proactive

• diversity training of employees and managers
• changing discriminatory company policies
• use of inclusive language
• encouraging full participation of the employee and their partner in corporate life
• support for issues relevant to the gay community such as Pride Days
• public announcements
• use of signs, stickers etc in prominant places throughout the workplace
• being aware of problems with disclosure for those employees that remain closeted