Historians suggest that the origin dates back to the theaters of ancient Greece and Rome, where men played female characters, as well as kabuki theater in Japan and Peking opera. Shakespeare incorporated this practice into Elizabethan theatre, as in “Twelfth Night”, by having Viola disguise herself as Caesarion.
However, other historians, such as drag artist Lady J, argue for a more recent origin, associating the term “drag” with Victorian England in the 1860s, when Ernest Boulton, of the duo Boulton and Park, described his act of cross-dressing in this way. The name would have come about due to the petticoats that the men wore, which they dragged on the ground during the performances.
Today, drag queens are an important part of popular culture. Although historically marginalized, they are increasingly present in various labor markets. In Brazil, LGBTQIA+ representation in the IT sector is still low, with only a small percentage of workers identifying themselves as part of this community (Brasscom, 2024). Globally, a study by Stack Overflow (2024) showed that 2% of software developers identify as LGBTQIA+, with this number gradually growing as companies adopt inclusion policies.
“The corporate world often has a stereotype, which does not make room for social and gender issues. This escape from the “standard” causes suffering, and having people who have knowledge and work together, helps to change this scenario” – Isis Hosang, psychologist at Grupo Dignidad.
Diversity and Identity: Important Concepts for the Labor Market
The LGBTQIA+ community represents gender and sexuality diversity. These concepts represent two different things, although they are often mistakenly used synonymously. The first is the person’s perception of themselves as female, male or non-binary, regardless of biological sex. The second concerns the different forms of affective and sexual attraction of each one. These definitions were disclosed in the LGBTI+ Communication Manual (2022), which is a reference in the use of various terms to address different sexual orientations:
- Asexual: It is the individual who does not feel any sexual attraction, either to the opposite sex/gender or to the same sex/gender;
- Bisexual: It is the person who relates affectively and sexually with people of both genders/sexes;
- Homosexual: It is the person who is sexually, emotionally or emotionally attracted to people of the same sex/gender;
- Pansexual: It is an orientation that specifically rejects the notion of two genders and even specific sexual orientation;
According to data from the IBGE (2022), about 12% of the Brazilian population declares itself as an integral part of the community, that is, approximately 19 million people. Despite the considerable number, in the labor market only 2% of the workforce of companies is composed of homosexuals, where trans professionals do not reach 1%. These data were released in the study “Diversity, Representativeness and Perception” (2022), carried out by the Multisectoral Census of Kairos Management.
How to Create Inclusive Environments in the Corporate Market
Increasing inclusion is a topic that has been worked on with great emphasis in recent years. The theme comprises items 8 and 10 – reduction of inequality and decent work and economic growth – of the 17 UN sustainable goals.
A work environment can be considered inclusive when all people are treated fairly, with equal opportunities. This includes representation at all functions and corporate levels, not just entry-level positions. Culturally, this scenario brings the possibility for these individuals to manifest their authenticity, feel welcomed and reciprocate by providing the same to others, similar or not.
Numerous groups must be taken into account when talking about diversity, including ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender identity minorities and PWDs. Within the area of Technology, the situation of inclusion of these groups is a little more worrying. According to studies conducted by Google Brazil (2021), about 36% of IT professionals believe that their area is the least diverse. As a result of the historical context, the challenges and obstacles for each group in this area may vary, according to several markers, they are:
- LGBTQIA+: Effeminate gays, queers, and lesbians suffer from stigmas of fragility or disability. Trans people, on the other hand, suffer from fewer possibilities of adequate training;
- Women: Women in I.T. suffer from low representation, especially in leadership. In addition, their capacity is put in check in their day-to-day work;
- Black people: Resistance of others to affirmative actions that help in hiring and permanence of these individuals in the workplace;
- PWDs: Despite advances in technology and inclusion, these people are hired with no prospect of professional growth;
“Being diverse is a very complex issue, we think ‘what is diversity?’, a skin tone is diversity, and people end up not understanding that we are all diverse” – Antonio, ST-One Operations team
How Diversity Drives Creativity in Organizations
Recognizing the social distances that separate these groups is the first step towards change. Having a diverse team is a consequence of the change in the market, as consumers tend to opt for brands that are aligned with their ideals. A study by McKinsey (2018) showed that organizations with greater gender and ethnic diversity are more likely to outperform their competitors financially. According to the survey, greater diversity in teams guarantees a 21% better performance than the others.
In addition to the gain in performance, working in a diverse environment brings creative advantages. According to Época magazine (2024), “professionals with a ‘pro-LGBT’ stance tend to have more characteristics related to creativity, such as open-mindedness, greater willingness to take risks, and a more diverse background. Those with a discriminatory attitude, on the other hand, tend to be more conservative.”
This fact is beneficial because the different experiences are a direct reflection of society, causing greater identification on the part of customers and users. These professionals are more connected with the public’s pains, which is answered by more direct communication. Also, the ideas are more cohesive, bringing more effective solutions that make more sense in different scenarios. Finally, the team goes through a learning process, through the plurality of realities and the exchange of daily experiences.
Diversity also contributes to interpersonal relationships. This is because, although sociocultural differences in groups can cause conflicts, in return employees have the opportunity to improve communication and manage crises. All these aspects result in more innovation and diverse solutions that meet all kinds of needs.
“This scenario [of prejudice] changes precisely because of the occupation of space. The prejudice is there, each one with their own bubble, and it continues because of the discomfort of leaving the comfort zone to respect someone. But over time, we see more LGBTQIA+ people proudly saying ‘we are extremely qualified’, and against facts there are no arguments” – Antonio, ST-One Operations team
The Impact of Diverse Startups on the Tech Industry
The concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion – as already presented – refer to DE&I practices, which are encompassed in ESG strategies. As part of this, actions and laws were implemented in order to reduce this discrepancy between the groups. An example is the Quota Law (No. 8,213), which since 1991, obliges companies to fill 2% to 5% of their positions with PWDs. Currently, this is only valid for organizations with more than 100 employees, but it is already an initiative towards changing reality.
This impetus to organize programs and initiatives on the subject is already bringing proven results. A survey by Gupy (2021) – a startup specializing in recruitment – revealed that 10% of the total vacancies advertised on the platform were “inclusive”, exclusive to such participants. Of these vacancies, a little more than a third (37.5%) were exclusively for LGBTQIA+ professionals.
In the IT sector, its historical context of creation, full of stigmas, makes this process a little more difficult. Mistakenly, this area was built as a male environment, where minorities such as women and LGBTs are seen as fragile for such a technical area. Because of this, it is necessary for the labor market to make this inclusion in a structured way, equally training historically excluded groups.
Startups are more active in this participation, precisely because they are intrinsically linked to innovation, which happens efficiently from the plurality of ideas. These companies are known for their agility and adaptability to new scenarios, playing an important role as agents of transformation and positive impact on society. According to Abstartups (Brazilian Association of Startups, 2021) of the 13 thousand startups in the country, 3.9% have homosexual founders, 1.5% bisexual, and 0.1% transgender. Still on the same body, 41% of startups have female founders and 35% black or brown people.
“The fact of having your diversity recognized and respected gives you much more freedom to solve things, for the security to admit fragility or ask for help. It even improves in the creative sphere, as it is possible to establish relationships with your colleagues collaboratively, and of course this increases productivity.” – Paulo, Tech team at ST-One
Beyond Hiring: How to Retain Diverse Talent
In addition to the effort of organizations at the time of hiring, such as with affirmative vacancies for minority groups, the focus should also be on retaining these employees. It is important to create means that promote formal participation in work processes to the detriment of informal aspects. An example is to reinforce the presence and interaction of these groups in meetings, instead of passing on information at lunches and occasional events. Permanence also happens through the appointment of leaders who cause some kind of identification in the team.
According to Google Brazil (2021), these are the 5 pillars that must be followed to leverage diversity in business:
- Easier access: Remove elements such as English from the prerequisite category and place it in the training package;
- Engage employees: Diversity and inclusion are everyone’s responsibility;
- Combat biases: invest in internal training focused on inclusion, production of good practice materials and activity for leaders;
- Talk about the advantages of DE&I: Clearly communicate the benefits and importance of diversity to the organization, such as earnings and certificates;
- Establish processes and policies: establish processes, goals, and policies (such as daycare assistance and psychological support) to go beyond paper;
Finally, organizations can partner with projects focused on hiring and training people belonging to minority groups. As an example, there is Transempregos, which aims to insert trans people into the labor market and combat prejudices related to this population. There is also the Todas em Tech program, which trains women to work in the technology area.
“It is important to look at diversity from the beginning. When we bring diverse people into the organization, we also acquire diverse ways of thinking, which contributes to growth.” – Larissa, ST-One’s People team
ST-One and the fight for diversity
ST-One is #TOP1 in the LGBTQIA+ Entrepreneurship ranking in Brazil (2022), and believes that celebrating diversity inspires people to dive into the world of innovation.
To show that technology is an environment for everyone, ST-One plans actions to celebrate pride month and give due importance to the theme. In 2023, the campaign was carried out in partnership with the city of Curitiba and the Hotel Social Eilat. The hotel is the first in the state that offers social accommodation for trans women and transvestites in vulnerable situations. The space has 20 vacancies and offers 24-hour reception. According to the city hall, the service for this public arose from the demand for a safe environment, due to the difficulty of welcoming in environments with cis men. From this, ST-One raised funds, with the contribution of the company and employees, which were converted into beauty kits for these residents.
For this year, the proposal was a conversation circle – held by psychologists from the Dignity Group – to discuss important themes about Pride Month. Key points about the LGBTQIA+ community were discussed, such as history, clarifications about the acronym and the current scenario in Brazil. Also, strategies to improve experiences in the labor market in terms of diversity were brought to light. All this with the aim of giving visibility to the theme, answering questions and contributing to a more prepared and engaged scenario, which aims at respect and inclusion. Learn more about ST-One.
“It was very good to have this space here at ST-One to talk to people and reinforce contact with this topic. Even with many activities, you closed the agenda to make this moment, and this shows that it is not a matter of profit, it is about making people feel heard.” – Isis Hosang, psychologist at Grupo Dignidad