Newswise — A questionnaire study of more than 500 gay, lesbian and bisexual employees across the U.S. has found that "fears about disclosing a gay identity at work had an overwhelmingly negative relationship with their career and workplace experiences and with their psychological well-being."
The researchers, Belle Rose Ragins and Romila Singh of the University of Wisconsin " Milwaukee and John M. Cornwell of Rice University, wrote "these findings were both striking and disturbing; those who reported more fear of the negative consequences of full disclosure had less positive job and career attitudes, received fewer promotions, and reported more physical stress-related symptoms than those who reported less fear." The article, "Making the Invisible Visible: Fear and Disclosure of Sexual Orientation at Work," was published in The Journal of Applied Psychology (2007, Vol. 92, No. 4, 1103-1118).
For those working in what they perceived as a non-supportive environment, the costs of non-disclosure were significant. "Those who feared more negative consequences to disclosure reported less job satisfaction, organizational commitment, satisfaction with opportunities for promotion, career commitment, and organization-based self-esteem and greater turnover intentions than those who feared less negative consequences," wrote the researchers. "Those who feared more negative consequences reported more (job) role ambiguity, more (job) role conflict, and less workplace participation than those who feared less negative consequences," the report continued. "LGB employees who feared more negative consequences also reported greater psychological strain than those who feared less negative consequences." Psychological strain was described as stress-related symptoms experienced on the job, work-related depression, and work-related irritation.
"These findings fit with other research showing that more accepting work environments are associated with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees being healthier and more productive. The research also provides some additional facts concerning the need for public policies protecting against job discrimination," said Robert-Jay Green, executive director of the Rockway Institute, a national center for LGBT research and public policy affiliated with Alliant International University. "Employees who are not afraid of being fired or held back from promotion because of their same-sex orientations are psychologically freer to put their full creative energies into work. This, in turn, saves employers' time and money. It a win-win for all concerned."
The researchers Ragins, Singh, and Cornwell concluded that deciding whether to come-out is an exceptionally difficult career challenge facing lesbian/gay employees that typically goes unnoticed by employers. However, the threats to employment security are real. There are no laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in 31 states, and such discrimination remains "widespread" in practice. For example, previous research indicated that between 25 and 66 percent of lesbian or gay workers had experienced discrimination. Of the participants in this study, 37 percent said they had faced discrimination because others suspected or assumed they were gay or lesbian. More than 10 percent said they had been physically harassed. More than 22 percent said they had been verbally harassed. Nearly 31 percent said they had resigned from a job, had been fired from a job or had left a job because of discrimination.
Although Ragins, Singh and Cornwell's study did not include transgender participants, findings from studies of the transgender population have yielded similar results and argue for the full inclusion of gender identity and gender expression in any legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression is allowed in 39 states. Nationally, studies of transgender people have found at least 20 percent and as many as 57 percent report discrimination. In Illinois, between 37 and 42 percent of 108 gender variant persons reported discrimination. In Virginia, 20 percent of 350 transgender persons reported being denied employment, 13 percent reported being fired, and 31 percent said they had been harassed. In San Francisco, 57 percent of 194 transgender persons reported employment discrimination.*
Green added: "As other recent surveys have shown, the vast majority of Americans think that it is unfair to discriminate against people for personal characteristics that are unrelated to their actual job performance. For example, the May 2007 Gallup Poll reported that 89% of Americans believe that employment discrimination against lesbian and gay people should be illegal. For those whose job it is to shape employment policies in work settings and at all levels of government, the current study's findings should be instructive. Safety in coming-out is good for workers and employers alike."
*Full reference information for these studies on transgender persons is available upon request.
About Rockway Institute: The nonpartisan Rockway Institute promotes scientific and professional expertise to counter antigay prejudice and improve public policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The Institute's view is that public opinion, policies, and programs should be shaped by the facts about LGBT lives, not by political ideology. A primary goal is to organize the most knowledgeable social scientists, mental health professionals, and physicians in the United States to provide accurate information about LGBT issues to the media, legislatures, and the courts. The Institute also conducts targeted research projects to address the nation's most pressing LGBT public policy concerns. Website: www.rockwayinstitute.org
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