f ‘I cut it [her hair] real short right after I got the job’: Queer coding during the interview for LGBTQ+ women

The purpose of this study was to examine how lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and/or questioning women manage their appearance during and after the interview process. I conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 22 self-identifying LGBTQ+ women who worked in an environment with business casual or business dress code expectations and were between the ages of 23 and 39. Based upon analysis of the data, four key themes emerged. These themes included appearance labour, appearance malleability, appearance inflexibility and job search motivations. Participants related that they were actively thinking about and reflecting on their appearance in relation to their sexual identity and how this might impact hiring outcomes. Implications for how employers can potentially reduce bias during the hiring practice are offered.