During a recent client meeting on inclusion, when the words LGBTQ came up, one of the meeting attendees remarked, “I’m not anti-gay but I just don’t believe that should have special rights.” My first thought, “Oh no, do we really have to have this conversation again?” Obviously we did.

I told this woman that LGBT people want the same rights as everyone else and that they also wanted to be included in meetings and events at work where decisions were made, even when those meetings and events were not part of the formal work day.

If an LGBT person comes out to you, they are looking for the same treatment as everyone else. They don’t want you to behave differently or be suddenly be excluded.”

If they were good employees before, they will still be good employees. If they were not competent before, they will still be incompetent. If you were ready to fire or promote them before, don’t change your plans. Coming out doesn’t make someone more or less competent.

Don’t hire someone who is not qualified, just because they are LGBT. Like any other employee, if someone is inappropriate, or not working, take corrective action. There’s not a scarcity of LGBT employees that want to be successful.