Diversity and inclusion have always been a big theme in the tech startup ecosystem, even in places such as Silicon Valley. Often, not for a good reason.
In 2017, following a sexual harassment allegation made by a former Uber engineer, NBC News reported that bullying against LGBTQ individuals in tech companies “are driving them out” of the industry.
Citing a study by Kapor Center for Social Impact and Harris Poll, the report wrote, “LGBTQ employees were the most likely to be bullied (20 per cent) and experience public humiliation or embarrassment (24 per cent), both at significantly higher rates than non-LGBTQ employees (13 per cent).”
While there have been actions taken to ensure a more welcoming ecosystem for minorities, reports of incidents like this inevitably led us to raise the bigger question: What about us in Southeast Asia?
In the past few years, women in the tech industry have spoken up about their challenges and tribulation in an open forum, particularly at the height of the #MeToo movement. If you have been to tech conferences in the SEA region, you might notice that they would have at least one session that specifically touches women in tech themes.
Women in tech issues have been widely discussed in the region –something that e27 applauds and supports. However, we find that there are many elements of diversity that we do not often touch in the ecosystem.
Recently, at the height of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, we aim to look at racial diversity in SEA tech startup ecosystem. We only managed to scratch the surface, but we aim to encourage further discussion. And eventually, action.
This time, we want to look at LGBTQ issues in the SEA startup ecosystem.
LGBTQ in Southeast Asia
If you ask an LGBTQ individual in SEA about how they are being treated by society, the answer will vary depending on where they reside.
While countries such as Thailand are perceived as more accepting, being the first in the region to approve a draft bill for the legalisation of same-sex marriage, other countries leave a lot to be desired. Homosexuality remains illegal in Malaysia and Singapore; apart from experiencing abuse and discrimination, their existence is often unrecognised by society.
In the tech industry particularly, one incident stood out.
In 2018, Indonesian tech giant gojek made headlines when the #UninstallGojek hashtag become a trending topic on social media. The hashtag was triggered by a statement by a gojek executive in his personal social media account, praising the company’s LGBTQ-friendly policies.
Also Read: Top 5 Chinese LGBT apps in 2017
As reported by The Jakarta Post, “Many Twitter users have posted screenshots of them uninstalling the gojek app from their phones in protest of what they perceived as Gojek’s approval of homosexuality.”
The executive was then sanctioned over his statement.
The way we see this incident is that as a leading tech company in SEA, gojek actually supports diversity and inclusion in their operations. But being a company that operates in Indonesia, where homosexuality is not illegal but frowned upon, it could not help but to adhere to society’s expectation, no matter how discriminatory it is.
This might lead to confusion on where the company actually stands in the matter of diversity, and how far it will actually go to defend it within its operations.
e27 has reached out to gojek to understand more about their stance on diversity and inclusion, but they have not responded by the time of publication.
Outside of the tech industry, as a comparison, a similar case happened to FMCG giant Unilever in Indonesia this year. The public threatened to boycott its products when the company announced its support for the LGBTQ community; the announcement was made on its global Instagram account.
CNBC reported that the incident had led to a 2.17 per cent drop of Unilever Indonesia’s shares in the stock exchange.
Also Read: 5 startups with LGBT pride
The voice of the people
But how is it like being an LGBTQ individual in the region’s tech ecosystem?
While the experience of several individuals can never represent the stories of many, e27 speaks to two sources to understand their perspective.
We speak to Ika Belerma, Quality Analyst at ThoughtWorks, and Faustine Tan, Sales Director at ZUZU Hospitality, who are open to sharing their experiences.
In general, both claimed to never experience any form of discrimination while working in the industry, apart from occasional misgender for Tan.
Belerma defines discrimination in the workplace as special treatment or preference over a candidate, based on their non-professional background, that might prevent a minority from moving ahead in his career.
“But I had definitely experienced micro-aggressions in the previous companies … in the form of slurs or seemingly innocent jokes,” he explains. “When that happens, I just tried to speak up and tell them it’s not acceptable.”
For Tan, in her experience, people in the tech industry already has a great awareness of diversity. She believes that education level has a lot to do with it.
“Luckily, all of us in startups industry are exposed to the right network and communities with the majority of people having a proper education, [which is] a university degree,” she says. “Education level has a contribution in shaping people and helping them understand … not to label [a person].”
Also Read: World’s largest dating app for gays sets up shop in Taiwan
Beyond the individual level, some companies are also giving LGBTQ employees room to express themselves through various initiatives during the Pride Month celebration every June. Belerma took the opportunity to educate his peers by sharing educational content through the email blast, chat groups, and even a TikTok challenge.
When asked about whether the activities aim to move beyond ad hoc events to focus more on advocacy, Belerma believes it is a good idea. But more commitment is needed.
Does he think tech can be a safe haven for LGBTQ individuals, the way fashion and beauty industries do?
“I certainly hope it’s true, but I think this is also something that depends on the geographical context. It’s also a complex question because there is still patriarchy here, with men dominating the area. But I do see some companies trying to provide a safe space. And I think that’s where we are going to go,” he answers.
Regarding what companies can do to ensure diversity in the workplace, Tan points out the practice of putting gender and racial preferences in job vacancies which remains prevalent in some Southeast Asian countries.
“Putting gender in job vacancies is so outdated,” she stresses.
When being asked about the importance of having a role model of successful LGBTQ individuals in tech (figures such as Tim Cook or Peter Thiel), Tan and Belerma have different opinions.
Belerma thinks it is quite important as it can show aspiring tech industry players what they can achieve. Meanwhile, Tan believes that a role model should only be judged based on their achievements, value, and impact.
“Most of my role models are male [and] they come from the closest circle: My own boss, mentors, and some investors,” she says.
For LGBTQ individuals aiming to make it in the industry, Tan has some last words to say.
“Accept who you are, be patient with the process of understanding yourself, define your self values, then live with it!” she closes. “So the company or community will see those values coming out from within you.”
Conclusion
When it comes to diversity and inclusion, tech companies in Southeast Asia might find themselves being pulled into different directions. They might want to implement LGBTQ-friendly policy in their operations and to communicate this to the general public. But it can be challenging in an environment where showing support to the LGBTQ community might taint companies’ public image and lose their customers.
Ideally, we want tech companies to be the change needed in society, the way they are disrupting transportation or grocery shopping. But we are also aware that changes do not happen overnight.
What we can suggest is to start by looking within. Create a policy that supports a safe workplace where every individual, regardless of their background, can thrive. Use gender-neutral language whenever possible, hire people solely based on their capabilities. Never take aggressions lightly, however trivial. Expand benefits to non-traditional partners. Give support whenever it is needed. Educate yourself and practice what you have learned.
If companies are not able to speak about their initiative publicly, then at the very least, their employees would know that they are being seen and supported. If their society cannot give them the safe space they need, then let them find it in their employers.
This is also a way for companies to prevent performative allyship. Because we know that action and consistency are what matter –beyond displaying a rainbow flag on your Twitter handle just because it is Pride Month.
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Image Credit: Andrew Leu on Unsplash
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