You may have concerns and questions about your career related to your LGBTQIA+ identity, whether you want to make this part of your identity a central part of your professional path or not.
Find Internships and Jobs
There are numerous job boards that cater to the LGBTQIA+ community, such as Pink Jobs or WorkplaceDiversity.com. You can also search for community-friendly employers on general job boards like Indeed or do a web search to identify employers to target.
Some industries also have LGBTQIA+ job boards, such as CenterLink LGBT Jobs and Careers Board (LGBT community organizations), Funders for LGBTQ Issues (philanthropic organizations), The LGBTQ+ Bar (legal jobs), or LGBTQ+ Victory Institute (public service).
Find Community: Professional Associations and Networking Groups
There are professional associations and advocacy groups within the LGBTQIA+ community. Examples include 500 Queer Scientists (STEM and STEM-supporting fields), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (business), and Out Professionals (nonprofits).
Additionally, many industry-specific professional associations have affinity groups for different populations. Examples include the American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table and the American Medical Association’s Advisory Committee on LGBTQ Issues.
Plus, don’t forget to look for platform-specific networking groups. LinkedIn has more than 500 LGBTQIA+ networking groups, from general to industry-focused and employer-specific. BU Connects (the BU community networking platform) has the LGBTQIA+ Network for LGBTQIA+ BU students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
Know Your Rights
As you consider different locations for internships and jobs, make sure you understand your rights. Look at employment nondiscrimination as well as housing and healthcare. A number of national organizations have helpful resources. The Movement Advancement Project has a tool that maps employment nondiscrimination. The Human Rights Campaign has a tool to check policies at employers, municipalities, and healthcare facilities. Lambda Legal has a state-by-state guide to rights as well as a legal help desk.
Find Support at BU
BU has a variety of LGBTQIA+ groups and resources for students, including the LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center. The Queer Activist Collective (Q) is dedicated to providing the BU community with ample programming and up-to-date resources.”The Center for Gender, Sexuality & Activism is a student-run safe space for all genders and sexualities. The Dean of Students has a list of LGBTQIA+ campus resources. Also, although focused on supporting faculty and staff, the LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff has a helpful list of campus groups, including those for students.
