Business Struggling To Rid Itself Of Its Anti Gay Bias Image

August 18, 2009

Sir Michael Bishop, former gay senior executive of the UK’s second largest airline revealed that despite inroads made in gay equality, the workplace is still one place where gays face discrimination.

Sir Michael Bishop

In a recent interview with the BBC, Sir Michael Bishop, made the revelations that if it weren’t for the fact that he had been owner-manager, he would not have been able to be an openly gay senior executive. "That was the only reason why I could do it," Sir Michael told the BBC.

Sir Michael, said that he faced prejudice for most of his career. He however refused for this to affect him, and that he had no qualms about having been publicly out. 

"It's obviously an issue for some people, but I think it's better to square up to these things than not to," he said.

Despite facing prejudice, Sir Ian said that he felt that things have however changed in the last 10 years. He said that he felt that it’s much easier to be gay in public and business, with it also being easier to come out than before. 

He did however send out a strong warning that despite these improvements, many careers can be put to a halt due to being openly gay.

Peter Tatchell, gay rights campaigners, took this opportunity to take a swipe at many firms by saying they had "paper policies" ensuring gay rights, with the reality of the situation being very different. He attributed this to the “gung-ho” culture, which excludes gay men and women.