Culture

Almost Half of Queer People Say They Face Discrimination at Work


 

Despite increasing levels of societal acceptance in recent decades, nearly half of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people report experiencing discrimination at work.

A new study released on Wednesday finds that 45% of LBG individuals report that their employer discriminates against people who share their sexual orientation. Meanwhile, 9% of respondents said they don’t feel the gender identity they present in the workplace corresponds with their true identity, while more than two out of three people said they don’t feel equipped to overcome these challenges in professional settings.

The study, which was conducted by Out and Equal Workplace Advocates and the IBM Institute for Business Value, included responses from more than 6,000 U.S.-based professionals, ranging from junior managers to senior executives. An estimated 700 of those indviduals were gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

The results indicate that LGB individuals are still not treated equally in the workplace, even despite overall attempts at inclusion.

“What we’re seeing is an authenticity gap,” says Deena Fidas, chief program and partnerships officer for Out and Equal, in a statement provided to them. “Too many LGBT+ people can’t show up as their authentic selves at work without facing negative consequences.”

The discrimination becomes even more pronounced when looked at through the intersection of race and sexual orientation.

While almost half of white LGB respondents say they have experienced some discrimination based on their sexual orientation, only 4% say they were discriminated against to a “very great extent.” That number is nearly 5 times higher for LGB people of color and includes 9% of Black, 20% of Latinx, 24% of Native American, and 17% of pan-Asian respondents.

Across racial groups, LBG professionals say that their sexual orientation is the primary driver of discrimination they’ve experienced at work, even among people of color.

The low number of LGB senior executives in the study — at just 7% — seems to further illustrate that these employees are not given equal leadership and promotion opportunities to their straight counterparts.

This week’s report isn’t the first to indicate that LGBTQ+ workers face disproportionate challenges in the job force. A 2018 study conducted by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) found that almost half of LGBTQ+ workers reported not being out at work. For those who are out, nearly 2 in 3 LGB individuals say they have to work harder to succeed because of their identity, compared to just 57% of non-LGB individuals.

“There is much more corporations can do to support LGBT+ people’s career aspirations and allow them to bring their full selves to work,” said Ella Slade, IBM global LGBT+ leader, in a statement provided to them.

Flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R), U.S. President Joe Biden signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on January 25, 2021 in Washington, DC.

The new report offers concrete action steps for making workplaces less hostile for LGBTQ+ employees. One way to address the culture of exclusion these workers face is ensuring that greater numbers of LGBTQ+ people are included in leadership teams, so that organizations can better anticipate and support the unique needs of a historically marginalized community.

“Some of us can carry a message far and magnify it, and lessen the burden on others who’ve been carrying it for so long,” one survey participant claimed.

Other solutions included ensuring that family planning benefits include LGBTQ+ families and making office environments more inclusive of nonbinary people. Companies can make their spaces safer for workers who identify outside the binary, for example, by adding pronouns to employee email signatures.



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