Gender-nonconforming LGBTQ+ employees report higher rates of workplace discrimination and harassment than their gender-conforming peers, according to a new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.
The study found that 62 percent of gender-nonconforming cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer employees had experienced discrimination or harassment at work because of their sexual orientation at some point in their lives. Experiences included being fired, not hired or promoted, and facing verbal, physical or sexual harassment. Among gender-conforming lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer employees, 41 percent reported similar experiences.
Researchers analyzed survey responses from 1,902 LGBTQ+ employees collected in summer 2023. The broader survey included transgender and nonbinary respondents. However, researchers focused this analysis on workplace experiences among cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer employees based on their gender expression.
The American Psychological Association defines gender conformity as the extent to which a person’s gender expression differs from societal expectations for their sex assigned at birth. Researchers measured gender nonconformity by asking respondents how they believed other people perceived their gender expression.
Gender-nonconforming cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer employees were also more likely to be out at work. About two-thirds [68 percent] said they were out as lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer to their supervisor, compared with 50 percent of gender-conforming employees.
Nearly half [47 percent] of gender-nonconforming employees said they were out to all their coworkers. Among gender-conforming employees, 28 percent reported the same.
At the same time, GNC employees were more likely to engage in “covering” behaviors. These included changing their clothing, voice or mannerisms to avoid discrimination. About 66% reported engaging in these behaviors, compared with 55% of gender-conforming employees.
The disparities also appeared in employees’ more recent experiences. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of GNC cisgender LGBQ employees reported discrimination or harassment based on their sexual orientation within the previous year. Among gender-conforming employees, 12% reported similar experiences.
Gay and bisexual men also reported higher rates of workplace discrimination and harassment than lesbian and bisexual women. Seventy-two percent of GNC gay and bisexual men said they experienced discrimination or harassment at some point in their lives, compared with 55% of GNC lesbian and bisexual women.
The study also found that workplace experiences can affect whether GNC employees remain in their jobs. Nearly half (48%) said they had left a job at some point because of how their employer treated them based on their sexual orientation.
“Gender-nonconforming LGBQ people are a particularly vulnerable and marginalized group in the workplace,” said Neko Michelle Castleberry, a research data analyst at the Williams Institute and the lead author of the study. “Many are not bringing their full selves to work and face unsupportive workplace environments, which need more robust monitoring and enforcement to ensure GNC employees are fully protected from discrimination and harassment.”
