Undisclosed reality: harassment of gay male employees in Sri Lankan heteronormative workplaces

This exploratory study aims to understand the ways in which gay male employees are harassed due to their sexual orientation in Sri Lanka, a developing Asian country, within a culture of hegemonic heterosexual masculinity. Using qualitative research approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Culture and organization 2021-11, Vol.27 (6), p.490-506
Main Authors: Adikaram, Arosha S., Liyanage, Dilusha M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Discourse
Discourses
Employees
exclusion
Gay male employees
harassment
Hegemony
Heteronormativity
Heterosexuality
Homosexuality
Male employees
Males
Masculinity
microassault
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Qualitative research
Sexual harassment
Sexual orientation
sexual stigma
Social norms
Stigma
Workplaces
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Summary:This exploratory study aims to understand the ways in which gay male employees are harassed due to their sexual orientation in Sri Lanka, a developing Asian country, within a culture of hegemonic heterosexual masculinity. Using qualitative research approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews with sixteen self-identified gay male employees were carried out. Within the backdrop of stigma and masculinity theories, the findings revealed how the hegemonic discourses of masculinity and heterosexuality as well as sexual stigma had led to enacted hegemonic masculinity and enacted stigma against gay male employees through microassault, organizational exclusion, and sexual harassment. The manifestation of socially constructed and institutionalized systems of power was also evident in these harassment experiences. With many studies on harassment of gay male employees being conducted in the Western context, the current study provides an in-depth understanding of how harassment is manifested in the Asian context with its distinctive cultural norms and values.
ISSN:1475-9551
1477-2760
DOI:10.1080/14759551.2021.1919894