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I'll be in DC in early August so the job fair would be a great opportunity to hand out tons of applications. That being said, I don't intend to be an outlier there and reap the benefits of being diverse. Their website states that the job fair "seeks the involvement of individuals from every segment of the legal community", but do straight people commonly attend? Apologize for the dumb question…

Not commonly, but those who are demonstrated allies do attend.

I would not recommend doing this - you will stick out like an awkwardly out of place sore thumb.

Eww please do not do this.

"I"m not black or latino but I'M AN ALLY, so I'm going to go to their career fairs and invade a space that is specifically meant for them."

Not typically, and it would look bad unless you either (a) have a very strong demonstrated ally role in an established LGBT-related organization or (b) are a child of LGBT parents. Otherwise, the optics are mostly free-riding.

Don't do this. And we might not say this to their face, but we all hate the "ally" who puts their membership in the LBGT affinity group on their resume. Don't co-opt a firm's willingness to hire LGBT candidates for your own benefit.

Let's say that at this career fair, you land a callback with a welcoming, pro-LGBT employer. That is a callback that an actual LGBT job candidate could get, at a firm that specifically is looking for LGBT candidates. It is much more likely that firm would be welcoming to them as a LGBT person. I would feel much more comfortable and welcome at a firm that purposely recruits LGBT people.

Taking a callback spot at a "welcoming" firm that the firm meant to go to someone LGBT is not something an "ally" would do.

OP here. Thanks for all the responses. I won’t be attending for sure. I was not intended to claim as an LGBT or ally anyway. I only asked because students actually pay $135 to attend the job fair so I wonder if everyone can pay and go there.

probably some of the interviewers

This is a serious question - genuinely curious here. How would employers know you are gay?

I think its completely legitimate to want to add diversity in the work-place by hiring LGBT individuals, but I also know that they probably can't straight up ask you in your interview whether you are gay. I assumed that employers just used LGBT campus/community group membership as a proxy for LGBT diversity; however, the above comments make it seem like it's more heavily scrutinized than that.

Put another way, I know some people who are straight, but exhibit "gay" mannerisms (whatever that really means), while I know others who are gay, but don't exhibit any outward signs that they might be gay. I just wonder, how do employers determine that candidates are true members of the LGBT community (not just allies) from job interviews where its likely that they cannot legally ask questions regarding gender/sexual orientation.

Sorry if this at all comes off as insensitive, I just have wondered about how this works out in practice.

Resumes. LGBT people who are interested in being out in the interviewing process put something like "OUTLaw, Member" on their resume (or otherwise have a resume involving a lot of LGBT organizations if they've been more active in the community). Some LGBT people don't want to be out in the interviewing process (usually out of a misguided belief that it will hurt their prospects) and are thus not known to firms because they don't state anything on their resumes.

They don't ask. They do use group membership and attendance at events like Lavender Law as proxies for being gay. Some people just say that they are gay in interviews or mention a same-sex significant other (I have never gotten comfortable with this, coming from a very homophobic family in a homophobic area of the country.) Employers also sometimes have scholarship programs or other events that require an essay talking about your contribution to the "community," and some people out themselves in those essays.

It is really sleazy to pretend to be LGBT or purposefully give the impression that you are LGBT in order to get a job.