Many people who work in Washington or another part of the United States face discrimination at some point during their careers. Yet, research shows that LGBTQ workers are more frequent victims of workplace discrimination than their heterosexual colleagues.
According to NBC News, a 2021 study involving 935 LGBTQ adults showed that 46% of them reported having experienced workplace discrimination during their professional lives.
Statistics on discrimination against LGBTQ workers
Workplace discrimination manifests in many different ways. About 10% of LGBTQ workers said they experienced either a layoff or had an employer deny them a position within the last 12 months because of how they identified. More than a quarter of LGBTQ workers who participated in the survey also said they experienced sexual harassment at work that resulted from their romantic preferences or gender identities. More than 20% of surveyed workers also said they had experienced physical harassment at the hands of their colleagues, supervisors or employers.
Statistics on discrimination against LGBTQ workers of color
Research indicates that LGBTQ workers of color are even more at risk of facing workplace discrimination. Almost 30% of LGBTQ workers of color said that potential employers denied them positions because of their sexual preferences or gender identities. Only 18% of white LGBTQ employees reported experiencing the same. Similarly, 36% of LGBTQ workers of color said they had experienced verbal harassment at work, with 26% of white LGBTQ employees saying the same.
The United States has laws on the books that prevent most employers from discriminating against their workers on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.