Pansexuality and biglaw Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm pansexual, and have been out for over ten years. On my resumes, I've been listing my affiliations with LGBT organizations. For the last year, I have been in a long term relationship with someone of the opposite sex.

I wonder if people at my summer firm will think I just listed LGBT affiliations to gain an advantage in hiring. I'm wondering this, in part, because I've had friends and family who have had difficulty understanding (or even believing in) bisexuality/pansexuality. Thoughts?

[ymmv]

Nobody is going to question your LGBT status.

[lhanvt13]

TIL Pansexual

[Avian]

Nobody is going to question your LGBT status.

This. In the unlikely event it somehow comes up you can just tell people you're Bi and they'll get the idea.

[Anonymous User]

Agreed. No one will ask. They'll just assume you are LGBT. Hard to see how the boyfriend/girlfriend comes up in interview conversation anyway, unless you bring them up; interviewers are instructed to stay away from relationship-related topics for anti-discrimination reasons (not so much LGBT as marital/sex discrimination). If you get an interviewer who is LGBT, they might ask you about your involvement, but clearly you are involved in the community and will be able to articulate that. I do know a couple of out bi/pansexual Women in BigLaw with husbands/boyfriends (though no out bi/pansexual men with wives/girlfriends), and really no one cares.

Also, it's not an advantage in hiring except from a networking perspective.

[lacrossebrother]

If male: Do you look like you played football? If female, do you like a sorrostitute?

[Anonymous User]

I don't understand how pansexuality would be different from bisexuality in an office environment. I also don't see how someone would have the chutzpah to mention your sexuality in a hiring committee meeting, and be appointed to that committee. Nobody is going to bring your private life up unless you initiate the conversation.

[Desert Fox]

Lgbtpqoff doesn't give an advantage. Firms hype that to get the good candidates who happen to be queer.

[lacrossebrother]

Lgbtpqoff doesn't give an advantage. Firms hype that to get the good candidates who happen to be queer.

New ofccp regs make lgbt count for affirmative action plans for fed contractors. A lot of firms will care about this.

[jbagelboy]

Lgbtpqoff doesn't give an advantage. Firms hype that to get the good candidates who happen to be queer.

Not sure you're totally right about this. Witnessed some interesting OCI results for active LGBT (not to suggest they weren't all very qualified, but interesting even given that level)

[FuturePanhandler]

What does pansexual mean?

[Nebby]

What does pansexual mean?

Google

[Anonymous User]

Lgbtpqoff doesn't give an advantage. Firms hype that to get the good candidates who happen to be queer.

New ofccp regs make lgbt count for affirmative action plans for fed contractors. A lot of firms will care about this.

If they are federal contractors. Basically irrelevant outside DC.

[Anonymous User]

I'm pansexual, and have been out for over ten years. On my resumes, I've been listing my affiliations with LGBT organizations. For the last year, I have been in a long term relationship with someone of the opposite sex.

I wonder if people at my summer firm will think I just listed LGBT affiliations to gain an advantage in hiring. I'm wondering this, in part, because I've had friends and family who have had difficulty understanding (or even believing in) bisexuality/pansexuality. Thoughts?

As a fellow bisexual, my experience has been that firm lawyers (including the gay and lesbian ones) don't necessarily understand bisexuality. If you identify as bi and are involved with LGBT issues at the firm, you'll be thought of with the other gay or lesbian attorneys. And then if you start dating a person of the opposite sex, people just tend to be confused and wonder if you're "straight now." Just like the rest of the world. To be blunt, based on my experiences, I think they're less likely to assume you listed LGBT affiliations to gain an advantage on your resume and more likely to assume you are confused and haven't figured out your sexuality. Of course, this won't likely be said directly to your face.

Because at present I am dating more people of the opposite sex, I'm not really "out" to everyone at my current firm, although I tell people whenever it's relevant (i.e., I'm getting to know them socially, we're talking about past relationships, etc.) If I start seeing someone of the same sex seriously, then I'd just include them at firm events with +1s and mention them as my significant other to colleagues, without making any statement about how I identify. Of course, everyone will then assume I'm gay, and if that relationship ends and I end up with someone of the opposite sex next, people will think I'm confused, etc. It's irritating, but it's just where society is right now with respect to bisexuality. I don't think biglaw is any more or less advanced than anywhere else on this. So my personal decision is not actively to use a label at work like bisexual or pansexual because I don't want to deal with more questions and confusion than I have to (though I think it's great that you're being totally open). We're there to practice law, and everyone's sexuality in theory should be besides the point. But if there's a social conversation where people are discussing whom they've dated or have dated in the past, I won't shy away from mentioning both male and female prior SOs. And if that leads to any questions, I don't mind answering them.