Study: Discrimination the norm for most of LGBTQ community

A study carried out at Harvard University makes it only too clear that members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community still face a lot of discrimination in modern America. It found that the majority of them have been discriminated against or harassed in some way.

Here are some key findings from the study:

• 57% have experienced slurs
• 53% have experienced offensive comments
• 57% claimed to have friends in the LGBTQ community who had been harassed or threatened
• 51% knew someone who was violently assaulted
• 51% knew someone who was sexually harassed

That’s not to say that all of this happens in the workplace, but it’s important to think about what this says about the culture as a whole and how common discrimination and harassment have remained over the years. It stands to reason that many people worry about discrimination on the job and actively face hostile workplaces and other hurdles that they must overcome in their professional lives.

“Lots of work has been done about what people think about discrimination in America,” one of the researchers noted. “This [survey] goes into great detail about people’s personal experiences of discrimination across many areas of life. LGBTQ people’s day-to-day experiences are still structured by discrimination, harassment and prejudice.”

Have you experienced harassment and discrimination on the job? It can be disheartening to feel like you’re not being treated equally or that you don’t have the same chances as everyone else. You must know that you do have legal options and protections, and it’s important to understand how to use them.