Mitihoon – According to a Deloitte survey, embracing diversity in the workplace is extremely important for the younger generation, especially Gen Z and Millennials. Among the LGBT+ group surveyed, 75% believe that revealing their sexual identity is important. However, the reason they do not disclose their identity is the concern about being treated unequally.
Kitti Phirathanarat from the Human Resources department of True Corporation is one of the representatives sharing stories of diversity during Pride Month. He is a young individual who courageously reveals his true self and is also involved in promoting the creation of the Business Inclusion Toolkit with UNDP and leading organizations in Thailand. This toolkit helps companies develop strategies to fully support workplace inclusion. Additionally, he advocates for diverse employees to be aware of their rights.
The confidence and pride in being himself that Kitti displays today stem from self-acceptance and self-respect, as well as overcoming challenges. He wishes to share his life experiences and perspectives with everyone.
Family expectations for a son
“I grew up in an era that was not very accepting of gender diversity. Being a son born into a Chinese family brought even higher expectations. Even though my parents separated when I was young and I grew up with my Thai mother, she avoided accepting the identity I expressed. She saw me as a well-behaved boy. When we visited relatives, I had to hide my true self and not show it to anyone.”
Self-ownership fosters the confidence to be yourself
“When I was in high school, my mother went to work abroad, which made me responsible for and make all the decisions in my life on my own. I also had to take care of my own feelings. This responsibility gave me the confidence that I could handle everything by myself. When I entered university, I fully expressed my true self without holding back. I was completely open because I respected my identity and believed that this was the right thing to do. I decided to be who I am, as bold as I wanted to be, and I never lost confidence. During that time, I participated in many activities and did everything to stand out. I was very confident. Later, I realized that the university community was very small compared to the wider world I would eventually encounter.”
The wide world of learning and adaptation
“When it comes to learning languages, it makes me proficient in communication. However, when I enter the workforce, I have to adapt to various people and choose how to present myself appropriately while still being true to myself. I never hide because I once had an experience during a job interview where I rehearsed lines and controlled my gestures, which felt unnatural. In the end, I didn’t get the job. After that, I decided it’s better to just be myself and let people accept me for who I am. Fortunately, I found a workplace that accepted me, but there was one incident, not significant, but it stuck with me for a long time.”
“When I moved to work in a relatively conservative organization, there was one day when I had to attend a meeting with the management. My supervisor told me, ‘When you meet with seniors, try not to show too much.’ Basically, they wanted me to act more masculine. Immediately, I questioned, ‘Why can’t I just be myself?’ but I didn’t say anything back, just stayed silent. Later, I thought of it as a small lesson that not everywhere or everyone will appreciate or accept our true selves completely. But looking back from a more mature perspective, I think my supervisor meant well because they have been working in that organization for a long time and know what works best.”
Advocacy work that amplifies the voices of diversity
“I enjoy working where I can communicate with people consistently. Eventually, I landed a job in HR at dtac. This clear expression of self allowed me the opportunity to represent the organization in participating in the creation of the Business Inclusion Toolkit with UNDP and various organizations in Thailand. This toolkit serves as a tool to help companies develop strategies for creating an inclusive work environment where everyone can participate fully. At that time, I had serious discussions with organizational leaders about this matter and realized that it was not something distant at all. Once we become aware and understand, we must be a voice to speak out about it, making people see its importance and believe in us.”
“Upon returning from that event, I engaged in advocacy work and supported initiatives to embrace diversity throughout. Especially in my capacity as HR, I strive to ensure that every employee knows what entitlements they have, not just the LGBTQ community but everyone. Currently, True has benefits and rights for employees that are quite comprehensive and inclusive of diversity.”
“When it comes to benefits for LGBTQ employees and same-sex partners, employees are entitled to 30 days of leave for gender reassignment surgery, 6 days of leave for marriage ceremonies (including holidays), or they can claim a wedding assistance benefit of 5,000 Baht. Additionally, there are comprehensive and diverse benefits available. For instance, mothers can take up to 180 days of maternity leave (after 2 years of employment), while fathers can take 7 days of leave (including holidays) each time their spouse gives birth. We strive to ensure they are aware of their rights.”
Promoting diversity requires creating a sense of safety
“As an HRBP (Human Resources Business Partner), I believe that promoting diversity effectively means listening to employees more. I constantly ask myself if I am listening enough to our key customers. Am I taking their feedback and suggestions for improvement seriously? How much am I enhancing their work experience and quality of life at the workplace? At the organizational level, I must not remain stagnant in promoting and embracing diversity. I need to ensure that employees feel emotionally safe at work, fostering a sense of belonging, which is a fundamental aspect of DEI&B principles.”
Everyone faces challenges in life
“Society often stereotypes that if we are part of the LGBTQ community, we must be funny or try to stand out, which is not true at all. For instance, my passion for dancing is one clear expression of my true self. Starting from mimicking dance moves on YouTube, it has evolved into a serious hobby where I am dedicated to continuously developing myself. Even in my professional life, there are times when I need to be featured in internal media or participate in various activities as a host or dancer. Partly, it’s due to work responsibilities, but it’s also because of my extroverted personality. I enjoy being in the midst of people.”
“Such prominence has led to occasional criticism in the past, but believe it or not, not once have I let those negative words undermine my spirit. I simply ignore them and think that they probably aren’t aware of other perspectives or the challenges I face. They are not in my shoes and don’t know what kind of challenges I encounter in my work. My life, like everyone else’s, isn’t just filled with fun. If the criticism is constructive, I gladly accept it to improve myself. However, if it stems from prejudice, I don’t pay any attention to those words at all.”
Everyone has the potential to be anything they want to be. Be the best version of yourself
“Leading life since the time when people refused to accept sexual diversity until today has led me to believe that being oneself is the best. Because I believe that everyone can do anything, be anything, and I wish them to be themselves. There’s no need to show or tell everyone that I am LGBTQ or what I am. Everything should go according to comfort. Make life normal. Make this easy. Let life be difficult with other matters. Just think, I can be anything, but I want to be myself.”
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