The ABC has won multiple Australian LGBTQ Inclusion Awards and the coveted title of “Gold Employer”, for its achievements in creating a more inclusive place to work and more diverse content for all Australians.
The ABC was also named Most Improved Employer for substantially increasing the visibility of people of diverse sexualities and genders at the annual awards, which recognise Australia’s top organisations for LGBTQ workplace inclusion.
The ABC also won the award for Best External Media Campaign for ABCQueer, an Instagram channel about and for young, queer Australians.
David Anderson, ABC managing director, said he was “proud to lead a public broadcaster that enables everyone to feel safe, welcome and able to bring their whole selves to work”.
“Diversity, inclusion and acceptance are not just buzzwords at the ABC, they are at the heart of everything we do,” he said. “The ABC’s LGBTQ Inclusion Awards recognise the multiple initiatives and programs we have introduced to promote inclusion and acceptance among staff, including mentoring programs and gender transition leave. We support our people, no matter who they are or who they love.
“Such initiatives are not obligations but opportunities. A broad range of perspectives, people and stories makes us all stronger, more creative and better able to engage with each other and the wider Australian community.”
The awards are based on the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), which measures the impact of LGBTQ inclusion initiatives in organisations. The ABC’s annual score out of 200 in this year’s AWEI increased significantly from 105 to 177.
Earlier this year, the ABC released new commissioning guidelines to ensure more diverse faces, voices, cultures, and stories are reflected and represented on Australian screens.
The ABC’s Diversity and Inclusion Commissioning Guidelines – Screen Content will deliver require production companies to provide greater access and opportunity to under-represented people and perspectives – on and off screen – including gender diversity, Indigenous Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people living with a disability, and the LGBTQI+ community.