Challenging Interview Situations

The following scenarios are provided by NYU's Office of LGBT Student Services. Used with permission.

When Interviewers...
  • Use the wrong gender pronouns when addressing a candidate
  • Make statements about assumed heterosexual partners
  • "Do you want to get married?"
  • "Do you want children?"
  • Talk about the campus climate/culture/community being a great social environment – assuming heterosexuality
  • Use offensive terms, fag, dyke, queers (in the bad way)
  • Make comments that pigeon-hole candidate based on queer related experience from interview/resume
  • Engender food, items on the table, things that happen during the meal
  • Do not listen for pronouns used by candidate
  • Leave long pauses after candidate clearly has changed subject or vaguely answered a question
  • Try to use inclusive terms but stumble over it
  • Do not using terms candidate expresses – partner vs. girlfriend, gay vs. lesbian vs. queer
  • Avoid candidate’s “gayness” – changing subject
  • Are racist, sexist, or classist
  • Try to figure out if candidate is queer – asking personal or leading questions
  • Are overly accepting of candidate’s queer identity – being fake
  • “Some of my best friends are gay!”
  • Try to bring gay stuff into conversation to be “cool”
  • Try to prove interviewer is queer-friendly
  • Only see that candidate is queer and nothing else
  • Make assumption that person with LGBT experience is queer – they may be an Ally