Shane Windmeyer: Inclusion Doesn’t Stop at the Zoom Call — LGBTQ+ Belonging in Remote Tech Teams

In 2025, work has changed forever. Offices are optional, Slack is central, and hiring pools span continents. But amid the efficiencies of the remote revolution, one question persists:

What happens to inclusion when no one’s in the room?

For LGBTQ+ professionals in the software industry, the shift to hybrid and remote work promised flexibility and escape from in-person microaggressions. But it also introduced new challenges: isolation, invisibility, and the erosion of safe, affirming work culture.

While many companies have spent the past five years perfecting their Zoom etiquette and asynchronous workflows, fewer have invested in what truly makes teams inclusive when face-to-face moments are rare.

“Queer inclusion can’t be paused just because the office closed,” says Shane Windmeyer, nationally recognized LGBTQ+ advocate and DEI strategist. “If your virtual culture excludes people, it doesn’t matter how flexible your hours are.”

The New Workplace Is Virtual. Bias Still Shows Up.

In remote software teams, it’s easy to assume that discrimination fades into the background. After all, there are fewer physical spaces for exclusion to occur, right?

But as Shane Windmeyer warns, the shift to digital hasn’t eliminated bias—it’s simply changed its form.

LGBTQ+ employees report less visibility in team meetings, especially when cameras are off and voices dominate.

Nonbinary and trans workers report deadnaming in project tracking systems, email threads, and onboarding portals.

Virtual employee resource groups (ERGs) often lack structure, leadership support, or engagement in hybrid models.

Queer employees in conservative regions say they hesitate to speak openly on company channels, fearing screenshots, surveillance, or local backlash.

Even in progressive software firms, inclusion requires more than digital infrastructure—it requires intentional digital culture.

“If your developers can push code from anywhere, they should be able to feel safe everywhere,” says Windmeyer. “But safety doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built, like any other feature.”

Where Tech Culture Falls Short for Remote LGBTQ+ Staff

A 2025 workplace climate report revealed that:

• 49% of LGBTQ+ remote workers feel less connected to their team than cis/hetero peers.
• 1 in 3 queer employees said they avoid bringing their full selves to virtual meetings.
• Only 12% of software firms provide LGBTQ+-specific inclusion training for remote managers.

This gap isn’t just social—it’s strategic.

When inclusion falters in remote settings, trust erodes, innovation slows, and retention plummets. And for queer employees, especially those early in their careers or without support networks, the effects can be devastating.

“The remote tech world talks a lot about psychological safety,” says Windmeyer. “But it rarely measures it for the most vulnerable workers.”

The Illusion of “Equal Access” in Hybrid Models

Many tech companies pride themselves on hybrid flexibility. But when some employees return to offices and others stay virtual, power dynamics shift—fast.

In-person staff get more facetime with leadership.

Remote queer employees feel forgotten in decision-making

ERGs lose participation without consistent hybrid planning.

Promotion bias creeps in, favoring visible contributors over high-performing, less-connected teammates.

Shane Windmeyer challenges companies to stop treating hybrid models as neutral.

“A hybrid policy without equity is just a digital caste system. If LGBTQ+ employees are always remote, and leadership is always in the office, your culture is already split.”

Five Ways to Build LGBTQ+ Belonging in Remote Software Teams

To move from token gestures to tangible impact, Windmeyer outlines five critical steps for tech leaders:

🌐 1. Design Virtual Spaces With Identity in Mind

Audit your platforms: Are chosen names displayed properly in Zoom, GitHub, Jira, and internal tools? Can employees share pronouns easily and safely? Do avatars or profile fields include LGBTQ+ visibility?

🧑‍💻 2. Train Managers to Spot Remote Bias

Equip team leads to monitor airtime equity, interrupt microaggressions in chat, and hold space for identity-based check-ins. Just because cameras are off doesn’t mean harm isn’t happening.

🎤 3. Prioritize Visibility of Queer Voices

Feature LGBTQ+ engineers and staff in company-wide events, tech talks, and open-source projects. Create mentorship pipelines that include remote workers, not just HQ talent.

🏳️‍⚧️ 4. Expand Benefits Across Geographies

Ensure all employees—regardless of where they live—have access to gender-affirming care, inclusive mental health coverage, and legal protections. Don’t hide behind state laws.

📆 5. Celebrate, Fund, and Scale ERGs Digitally

Move ERG activities into virtual-first formats. Offer stipends, executive sponsorship, and regular feedback loops. Make participation count in performance reviews, not just culture credits.

From Inclusion to Thriving

LGBTQ+ employees don’t just want acceptance. They want to thrive. They want leadership roles, impactful projects, and the chance to shape culture from wherever they log in.

Software companies that treat inclusion as a competitive advantage—not a compliance checklist—stand to gain the most in recruitment, retention, and product design.

“Queer engineers are some of your most creative problem solvers,” Windmeyer says. “If they feel seen and valued, they will build you the future. But if you silence them, they’ll take their genius elsewhere.”

Leadership Needs to Log In

Inclusive culture doesn’t trickle down in a Slack thread. It must be led—boldly, visibly, and consistently. Especially when physical offices are no longer the center of gravity.

Shane Windmeyer urges tech executives to stop hiding behind “company culture” and start engaging directly:

• Host listening sessions with LGBTQ+ remote staff.
• Publish internal equity benchmarks.
• Fund training and mentorship across identities and time zones.
• Speak out publicly when anti-LGBTQ+ legislation threatens your workforce.

“Leadership means showing up—even when the camera’s off. Even when the boardroom’s quiet. Especially then.”

Conclusion: Remote Inclusion Is Not Optional

The future of work is flexible. But flexibility without equity is failure in disguise.

As the lines between home and office continue to blur, queer employees are watching closely. They know the difference between policies and practices. Between slogans and systems.

Shane Windmeyer puts it simply:

“If your LGBTQ+ staff can code from anywhere, make sure they can belong from anywhere too.”

Because inclusion is not about place—it’s about power. And in 2025, the companies that understand this will lead not just the market, but the movement.