LGBT Discrimination in Society

1. LGBT Discrimination in
Society
Maggie Hubbard & Chad McEwan

2. LGBT – Definition
• Stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.
• Along with heterosexuality, they describe people’s
sexual orientation or gender identity.

3. Statistics
• According to a study conducted by the National Health Statistics
Report:
• Among all U.S adults (18yrs+),
– 96.6% identified as straight
– 1.6% as gay/lesbian
– 0.7% as bisexual
– 1.1% as “something else” (did not understand the question, or refused
to answer)
*Graph on next slide

4. Straight Gay/Lesbian Bisexual Something Else

5. Discrimination of LGBT
• Discrimination – differential treatment of
individuals based on their group membership.
• Homophobia – the fear of or prejudice and
discrimination against LGBT people.
– Also the dislike of same-sex attraction and love, or
hatred of people who hold those feelings.

6. Suicide Statistics
• According to recent statistics:
– LGBT teens are 2-3 times more likely to commit
suicide than other youth.
– 30% of all completed suicides are related to
sexual identity crisis.

7. An Important Message – Ellen DeGeneres
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B-
hVWQnjjM

8. LGBT Bullying in School
• LGBT teens report being 5 times more likely to
miss school due to feeling unsafe because of
bullying
• 28% of this group feel forced to drop out of
school
– More and more schools are implementing anti-
bullying policies but this problem is still prevalent.

9. Discrimination in theWorkplace
• In a number of surveys collected byTheWilliams Institute
on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, they
determined that:
– 15-43% of LGBT employees have experienced some form of
discrimination & harassment in the workplace.
– 8-17% were not hired or fired due to sexual orientation
– 10-28% were not promoted due to orientation
– 7-41% were verbally or physically abused/had their workplaces
vandalized

10. “That’s s0 Gay”
• 58% of LGBT workers reported that a
coworker makes a joke/derogatory comment
“at least once in a while”
– 67% of LGBT employees do not report such
comments to Human Resources or management.

11. LGBTWage Gap
• According toTheWilliams Institute, in a 2012 study :
– Gay/Bisexual men earn 10-32% less than similar qualified
heterosexual men in the USA.
– Lesbian/Bisexual women earn the same, and sometimes
more than heterosexual women.
– Research indicates that lesbian workers still earn less than
both heterosexual and gay men.

12. LGBTWage Gap cont.
• Discrimination in earnings in the public sector
is no different than the discrimination in
earnings in the private sector.
• Gay government employees earn 8-29% less
than their heterosexual counterparts.

13. “First Gay Hug”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1WEtFF
PVBU

14. “First Gay Hug”
• Experiment shows people uncomfortable at first
but becomes accepting as they talk
• Shows viewers that LGBT persons are not that
different than their heterosexual counterparts
• One-on-one encounter encourages intimacy by
hugging, reduces negative outlook

15. How to Reduce the Stigma?
• Schools andWorkplaces can reduce the stigma placed on the LGBT
group by many ways:
– Becoming educated on the effects of discrimination against any
group
– Families reducing the negative outlook to children at a young age
– Teaching people to be more accepting of lifestyles different than their
own
– Implement policies that prohibit any type of discrimination that could
hinder employment

16. Works Cited
• Catalyst. QuickTake: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &Transgender Workplace Issues. NewYork: Catalyst,
May 15, 2014. Retrieved on April 1, 2015, from http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/lesbian-gay-
bisexual-transgender-workplace-issues
• The Gay andTransgender Wage Gap. (2012, April 16). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/news/2012/04/16/11494/the-gay-and-transgender-
wage-gap/
• Sexual Orientation and Health Among U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2013. (2014,
July 15). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr077.pdf
• Combating discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. (n.d.). Retrieved April
1, 2015, from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Discrimination/Pages/LGBT.aspx
• What Is LGBT? : LGBT.ie. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from
http://www.lgbt.ie/information.aspx?contentid=84
• Gay Bullying Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/gay-bullying-statistics.html