InterComms, the UK network for LGBTQ+ people in PR, public affairs and internal communications, has published its first LGBTQ+ census. Of the 107 people who answered, 69% said they’d experienced inappropriate behavior at work, according to the network.
That covers stereotyping, unequal treatment and inappropriate comments, PRmoment reported Oct. 23. PR Week put the share who have felt stereotyped or judged at work at 44%.
“We work in an industry that advises organisations on how to communicate, build trust and respond when things go wrong,” said Josh Wheeler, InterComms’ head of communications, insight and industry relations, according to PRmoment. “Yet our own research suggests we still have some difficult questions to answer about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in our workplaces.”
What 107 LGBTQ+ communications professionals reported
InterComms survey, July to September 2026
89% Affected by the political or cultural climate
69% Experienced inappropriate workplace behavior
51% Saw no LGBTQ+ representation in senior leadership
Who Answered the InterComms LGBTQ+ Census
Respondents work at agencies, on in-house teams, in the public sector, at charities and as freelancers. The survey ran online. It asked about inclusion, the political climate, progression, pay and “who’s in the room at the top,” InterComms says on its site.
People opted in, so the results reflect their own experiences. They aren’t a representative sample of the whole industry, PRmoment noted.
Nearly two-thirds said they’ve thought about leaving a job because of workplace culture. Some respondents also described supportive employers and successful careers, PRmoment reported.
Founder Ethan Spibey wrote in 2018 about why he started the network. “Ironic, I thought, that for an industry that benefits so much from LGBT+ talent, there wasn’t a supportive network there to champion the very people that make it such a success,” he wrote in a PRmoment column.
“Long hours and a focus on delivering for clients can sometimes mean organisations forget about the people within,” Spibey told Gorkana that year.
Political Climate and Missing LGBTQ+ Leaders in UK Communications
Nearly 9 in 10 respondents said the current political or cultural climate has affected them. And 41% said they now hesitate more before speaking openly, according to PRmoment.
More than half, 51%, said they see no LGBTQ+ representation in senior leadership.
The surveys used different samples and questions, so their figures should not be read as a direct trend. The Public Relations and Communications Association, a UK industry group, asked about senior leaders in a 2020 survey for a report produced with YouGov. In that one, 29% of respondents weren’t aware of any LGBTQ+ colleagues in senior leadership, and a fifth of LGBTQ+ respondents said they’d faced discrimination at work, Communicate magazine reported in 2021.
“Discrimination in any form, no matter how small or harmless it may appear, should never be tolerated,” Katie Traxton, then chair of the PRCA’s LGBTQ+ group, said at the time.
How Many LGBTQ+ People Work in UK PR, According to the PRCA Census
In the PRCA’s 2024 UK census of 500 PR professionals, 4% identified as gay or lesbian and 6% as bisexual. The report said “continued efforts are needed to support LGBTQIA+ inclusion.”
The group’s 2025 census, released in December, reported pay gaps by gender and ethnicity and said 21% of organizations collect no diversity data. PRCA CEO Sarah Waddington said in the release that the industry “cannot ignore the widening inequalities that hold too many people back.”
InterComms says the census will shape upcoming industry listening sessions and a “Guide for Good,” a set of shared inclusion commitments for agencies and in-house teams.
Applications for its THRIVE mentoring program close Oct. 31.
