Latinx LGBTQ employees face high levels of discrimination and harassment in the workplace, according to a new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. More than half (58%) of Latinx LGBTQ workers have experienced discrimination or harassment at work at some point in their lives. This includes being fired, not hired, not promoted, or being subjected to verbal, physical, or sexual harassment due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Despite federal nondiscrimination protections, more than one-quarter (26%) of Latinx LGBTQ employees experienced discrimination or harassment at work in the past year.
Researchers analyzed survey data collected in the summer of 2023 to examine the workplace experiences of Latinx LGBTQ adults compared with White, Black, and Asian LGBTQ employees. Results show that Latinx LGBTQ employees were significantly more likely to have experienced discrimination and harassment at work than white LGBTQ employees.
“Stronger protections, such as monitoring and enforcement, are needed to ensure complete protection from discrimination and harassment for Latinx LGBTQ individuals in the workplace,” said lead author Brad Sears, Founding Executive Director at the Williams Institute. “The combined experiences of mistreatment faced by Latinx LGBTQ workers due to their LGBTQ status, race/ethnicity, disability, and other factors highlight the necessity for policies that address intersecting and overlapping forms of discrimination.”
Additional Findings
Demographics
- About two-thirds (65%) of Latinx LGBTQ adults in the workforce were under the age of 35, and 82% were under the age of 45.
- Nearly half were making less than $50,000 a year (48%), with 16% making less than $25,000 yearly.
Discrimination and Harassment
- Latinx LGBTQ employees were more likely to experience discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity during their lifetimes than White LGBTQ employees (46% v. 27%).
- 45% of Latinx LGBTQ employees have experienced harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity at some point in their lives, compared to 33% of White LGBTQ employees.
Out at Work
- Nearly half (46%) of Latinx LGBTQ employees were not out to their current supervisor, and 18% were not out to any of their co-workers.
- Less than one-third (31%) of Latinx LGBTQ employees were out to all their co-workers.
Avoiding Discrimination
- To avoid discrimination and harassment, over one-quarter of Latinx LGBTQ workers reported changing how they dressed (28%), their physical appearance (27%), or their voice or mannerisms (33%) at work.
- 42% of Latinx LGBTQ employees have avoided work-related social events, and one-third (33%) have avoided talking about their family at work.
- Latinx LGBTQ employees (69%) were more likely to engage in covering behaviors than White LGBTQ employees (54%), Black LGBTQ employees (58%), and Asian LGBTQ employees (48%).
Retention
- 41% of Latinx LGBTQ employees reported that they had left a job at some point in their lives because of how their employer treated them based on their LGBTQ status, compared to 30% of white LGBTQ employees.
- Due to the workplace environment for LGBTQ people, 21% of Latinx LGBTQ employees considered leaving their current jobs, and, of those employees, 75% had taken steps towards finding another job.