Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Alaska

Executive Summary

More than 4% of the American workforce identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). Approximately 13,100 of these workers live in Alaska. Alaska does not have a statewide law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment.

This report summarizes evidence of sexual orientation and gender identity employment discrimination, explains the current limited protections from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Alaska, and estimates the administrative impact of passing a law prohibiting employment discrimination based on these characteristics in the state.

Key Findings

• In total, there are approximately 19,200 adults who identify as LGBT in Alaska, including approximately 13,100 who are part of Alaska’s workforce.2
• Incidents of sexual orientation and gender identity employment discrimination in Alaska have been documented in legislative testimony.
• Survey data indicate that discrimination against LGBT workers is prevalent across the country, including in Alaska. In a 2011 survey of LGBT residents of Anchorage, 44% of respondents reported that they had been harassed by their employer or co-workers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 16% reported that they were forced to leave their jobs due to harassment. Additionally, 21% reported that they had been turned down for a job; 18%reported that they had been denied a promotion, and 15% reported that they had been fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• When transgender people are surveyed separately, they report similar or higher levels of discrimination. In 2010, 78% of respondents to the largest national survey of transgender people to date reported having experienced harassment or mistreatment at work, and 47%reported having been discriminated against in hiring, promotion, or job retention because of their gender identity.
• Census data show that in Alaska, the median income of men in same-sex couples is 32% lower than the median income of men in different-sex marriages.
• A gubernatorial executive order protects employees of state agencies in Alaska from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• No localities in Alaska have passed ordinances or policies that prohibit sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination in employment.
• At least 17 of Alaska’s 25 largest employers have adopted corporate policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and at least 11 also prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Additionally, the Regents of the University of Alaska have adopted policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in University employment.
• Public opinion in Alaska supports the passage of non-discrimination protections for LGBT people. In response to a national poll conducted in 2011, 79% of those polled in Alaska said that Congress should pass a federal law to prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, other polls have found that 77% of Alaska residents think that LGBT people experience a moderate amount to a lot of discrimination in the state.
• Adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s current non-discrimination laws would result in approximately six additional complaints being filed each year, on average.
• The additional six complaints per year would most likely have no noticeable impact on the state’s budget and resources.

Download the full report