| Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) employees create formal and informal groups within workplaces to provide social support and to seek organizational change at their places of employment. I present a case study of a coalition of these groups working together to attain domestic partner benefits within a large three-campus university system, the University of Illinois. These groups worked together to conduct employee-initiated human resource development (HRD) and organization development. This development occurred through various approaches to (a) education efforts, (b) organizational change, and (c) social organizing strategies. When considering education efforts, coalition members differed on whether education and lobbying should focus on key decision makers or on the broader university communities. They also differed on whether members of the Board of Trustees should be educated from group members or whether that process should be left to the administration. Regarding orientations toward organizational change, the study illustrates the distinct differences between employee-initiated organization development in the corporate sector and in universities. I also explored the changes attained through group members seeking a structured activist organization and others seeking a looser grassroots coalition at various stages of the effort. When considering social organizing strategies in LGBTQ efforts, we often see identity politics or queer approaches to organizing. Identity politics approaches typically use a more fixed, ethnic-type identity for LGBTQ people, while queer approaches see sexuality as more fluid and seek change through broader coalitions. In this case study, both approaches were utilized to varying degrees as the activists worked toward goals of concern to (a) diverse groups (not just LGBTQ individuals) and (b) LGBTQ-specific constituents.;Through the loose-knit three-campus coalition, group members debated, argued, and worked successfully to pursue their goals. However, when the coalition fell apart and morphed into more of a quasi-organized HR advisory committee, a loss of vitality and aggressiveness resulted in inaction.;In chapters 1–3, I begin with an overview of my approach, the research questions, overview of literature and theory, and methodology. In chapters 4–7, I provide a narrative and thematic recounting of this nearly 20-year effort to attain domestic partner benefits. In chapter 8, I outline my conclusions as they relate to other research, discuss limitations and reflexivity, and consider the implications for research and practice. |
