Highlights from Our Panel on Bisexuality

Goldman Sachs’ Firmwide LGBTQ+ Network, in partnership with our Trading Documentation Group, recently hosted a panel discussion on bisexuality and bierasure within the LGBTQ+ community. 

Tuvia Borok, global head of the Trading Documentation Group in the Global Markets Division at Goldman Sachs was the moderator of the panel, which included three Goldman Sachs people and two outside speakers:

  • Dominic Arnall, chief executive of Just Like Us, chair of Mind Out and board member of the London Bisexual Network
  • Nancy Heath, trainee solicitor, Simmons & Simmons LLP

Panelists shared their personal perspectives on bisexuality and bierasure within in the workplace and beyond—discussing common stereotypes that bisexuals face, coming out at work, how to promote an inclusive environment when working remotely, and the importance of allyship for the bisexual community. 

Despite the fact that bisexuals make up the largest group within the LGBTQ+ community, according to one study1, our panelists shared that it can be difficult to feel fully be accepted within the LGBTQ+ community as a bisexual. In fact, another study2 has shown that bisexuals are far less likely to be “out” to important people in their life.

Here are some of the highlights of what the panelists had to say:

 

On role models in the firm –

“Having LGBTQ+ role models is great, but (so is) having ally role models . . . We have some very amazing managing director and partner allies who help a lot by talking about diversity and how they are trying to help with visibility and the LGBTQ+ initiative.”

– Cecile, executive director, Global Markets Division


 


On intersectionality and how your other identities play into being bi –

“My end goal is to be able to bring the whole of myself to situations, especially in the workplace. I think that you have to be able to tune into all of your identities and the different aspects of yourself at once, and to be able to bring all of those to different situations . . . by doing that you are showing that all of these different identities can be recognised.” 

– Nancy, trainee solicitor, Simmons & Simmons LLP 

 


On being a good ally –

“Bi-inclusivity ideally is not just about saying, “well let’s add another letter to our existing list;” it’s about saying actually, how welcome are we and how do we treat difference of any kind? And if someone comes to us with anything, how do we deal with that? . . . This is the perspective with which people should approach bisexuality.” 

– Dominic, chief executive of Just Like Us, chair of Mind Out and board member of the London Bisexual Network

 


On new joiners/interns –

 “For me, I find it really impactful to see that people are great allies. It definitely makes me feel comfortable in the workplace . . . [but for new joiners and interns] they really don’t know what it’s like here. And so that’s really one of the main motivations for me being so visible . . . so that all of these new people that come in can see that they can be themselves and they don’t have to doubt anything.” 

– Harriet, associate, Risk Division

 


On sexuality – 

“There is a spectrum. There is a whole host of identities that one can have . . . and this is just getting talked about a lot more. With events like this at the firm, having more discussions about the fact that sexuality is a spectrum and it’s not very set . . . a lot of it comes from having conversation and allowing spaces where people feel open to be authentically bisexual versus having to identify as [something else] because they feel it is a safer alternative.”

– Rio, analyst, Global Markets Division

 

 

Sources

1 UCLA School of Law William Institute
2 Pew Research Centre