BY MOLLY SPRAYREGEN for them
Almost half of LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. have experienced workplace discrimination at some point in their lives, according to a new report.
A Tuesday study published by The Williams Institute additionally found that nearly 9% of LGBTQ+ workers said they had been fired or denied employment in the past year due to their LGBTQ+ identity. The number was even higher for LGBTQ+ people of color, over 11% of whom reported having faced unfair employment or hiring practices.
The University of California, Los Angeles think tank also found that transgender people face shocking rates of bias on the job. Almost half of trans workers — 48.8% — said they had been fired or not hired due to their gender identity. Additionally, over 22% of trans respondents said they had been sexually harassed within the past five years, compared to the approximately 12% of queer, cisgender people who said the same.
Many trans workers also reported staying closeted to protect themselves. Half of respondents said they are not out to their supervisors, and 25.8% reported not being out to any of their co-workers. Additionally, over 40% said they have engaged in behaviors like changing their voice, clothing, or which bathroom they use to hide their identity.