Marjolein Dennissen

95 Diversity killjoys? “others” who do not belong in the organization. The experience of being othered and feelings of exclusion based on having an LGBT identity, result in Ethan becoming emotional and not feeling safe in his work environment. The diversity networking practice of undoing otherness refers to the social interactions that reduce otherness (Deutsch, 2007). By sharing a personal story with other network members, otherness is reduced in two ways. First, the network members collectively provide support and solidarity with Ethan as individual member. Members offer Ethan their support – “that is why we are here” –, ask if the network can be of any help, and physically support him by giving him a hug. Emotionally engaging with the othering of (individual) members, diversity network members collectively create a sense of belongingness (Özbilgin & Woodward, 2004), thereby reduce feelings of otherness. Second, it is emphasized by other network members that “it” is not about Ethan personally, but “it is about the culture of the organization”. By doing so, the members make individual struggles collective and realize a shift from individual focus to a focus on inequality (Meyerson & Scully, 1995; Scully & Segal, 2002). Undoing otherness here involves unsettling the heteronormativity within the organization (Pullen & Knights, 2007). The individual otherness that Ethan encounters in his daily work environment, becomes a collective issue that involves the whole LGBT network and the whole organization. Building alternative structures Being organized as a collective network does not only make it possible to support members individually (by undoing otherness), but also to organize support systematically. Drawing on the relations and resources available within their own networks, network members are able to build a support structure among themselves. I refer to this diversity networking practice as building alternative structures . An example of building alternative structures, is the so-called buddy systemof the disability network in Govt. According to themembers of the disability network, the current organizational culture can be hostile towards its disabled and chronically ill employees, such as employees diagnosed with cancer, PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder), diabetes or HIV/AIDS. Network members observe that colleagues and managers who are confronted with a disability or a sudden chronic illness of their colleague/employee, often do not know how to deal with both the employee and the disability/illness. This can result in incomprehension, ignorance, and indifference. An employee diagnosed with cancer, for example, was told to have “cancer in her/his own time”. Or an employee with dyslexia, who asked a colleague to check a piece of text, was faced with laughter and ridicule. According to the network members, employees with a disability/illness are apprehensive to tell their colleagues and their managers about their disability/illness. They fear that disclosing their disability/illness would lead to losing their job. Consequently, they are unable to ask for help if needed or to share their emotions and experiences. To offer a means to support disabled and chronically ill employees, members of the disability network launched a buddy-system: a support system in which colleagues can help and support other colleagues with illness- or disability-related issues.