Discrimination against LGBTQ people includes discrimination against LGBTQ people as a whole and against specific subgroups: lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, queer people, among other sexual and gender minorities.

Homophobia

Bisexuals

Further information: Biphobia

Other sexual and gender minorities

Discussion

LGBTQ individuals have faced a long history of discrimination. They've been labeled as mentally ill, faced forced attempts to change who they are, and experienced hate crimes and exclusion from jobs, homes, and public places.[1]

Survey studies show that instances of personal discrimination are common among LGBTQ community. This includes things like slurring, sexual harassment, and violence.[2] According to a survey conducted for National Public Radio, at least one in five LGBTQ Americans have experienced discrimination in public because of their identity. This includes in housing, education, employment, and law enforcement. Furthermore, the report reveals that people of color in the LGBTQ community are twice more likely than white people in the LGBTQ community to experience discrimination, specifically in job applications and interactions with police.[3] One-third of LGBTQ Americans believe that the bigger problem is based on laws, and government policies, and the rest believe that it is based on individual prejudice. Due to the experiences of discrimination in public, many LGBTQ Americans tries to avoid situations or places out of fear of discrimination, such as bathrooms, medical care, or calling the police.[4]

A survey by CAP shows that 25.2% of LGBTQ people experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that these discriminations negatively affect their well-being and living environment. Due to the fear of discrimination, many LGBTQ people change their lives such as hiding their relationships, delaying health care, avoid social situations, etc.[5] In research publish by UCLA School of Law, survey data showed that 29.8% of LGBTQ employees experienced workplace discrimination such as being fired or not hired. LGBTQ employees who are people of color were much more likely to report that they didn't get hired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, compared to white LGBTQ employees. Transgender employees were more likely to face discrimination based on their LGBTQ identity compared to cisgender LGBTQ employees. Almost half (48.8%) of transgender employees experienced discrimination due to their LGBTQ identity, while only 27.8% of cisgender LGBTQ employees reported such experiences. In addition, over half (57.0%) of discriminated LGBTQ employees said their employer or co-workers indicated that the unfair treatment was linked to religious beliefs.[6] In the U.S., certain states have passed laws permitting child welfare agencies to deny services to LGBTQ community based on religious or moral beliefs. Similarly, some states allow healthcare providers to refuse certain procedures or medications for LGBTQ community on religious or moral grounds. Additionally, certain states permit businesses to decline services to LGBTQ people or same-sex couples, particularly in the context of wedding-related services, citing religious or moral beliefs.[7]

In a 2001 study that examined possible root causes of mental disorders in lesbian, gay and bisexual people, Cochran and psychologist Vickie M. Mays, of the University of California, explored whether ongoing discrimination fuels anxiety, depression and other stress-related mental health problems among cisgender LGBTQ people.[8] The authors found strong evidence of a relationship between the two.[8] The team compared how 74 cisgender LGBTQ and 2,844 heterosexual respondents rated lifetime and daily experiences with discrimination such as not being hired for a job or being denied a bank loan, as well as feelings of perceived discrimination.[8] Cisgender LGBTQ respondents reported higher rates of perceived discrimination than heterosexuals in every category related to discrimination, the team found.[8] However, while gay youth are considered to be at higher risk for suicide, a literature review published in the journal Adolescence states, "Being gay in-and-of-itself is not the cause of the increase in suicide." Rather the review notes that the findings of previous studies suggested the,"...suicide attempts were significantly associated with psychosocial stressors, including gender nonconformity, early awareness of being gay, victimization, lack of support, school dropout, family problems, acquaintances' suicide attempts, homelessness, substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders. Some of these stressors are also experienced by heterosexual adolescents, but they have been shown to be more prevalent among gay adolescents."[9] Despite recent progress in LGBTQ rights, gay men continue to experience high rates of loneliness and depression after coming out.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity are an aggravating circumstance". Our World in Data. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  2. ^ Casey, Logan S.; Reisner, Sari L.; Findling, Mary G.; Blendon, Robert J.; Benson, John M.; Sayde, Justin M.; Miller, Carolyn (December 2019). "Discrimination in the United States: Experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans". Health Services Research. 54 (Suppl 2): 1454–1466. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.13229. ISSN 0017-9124. PMC 6864400. PMID 31659745
  3. ^ Prichep, Deena (25 November 2017). "For LGBTQ People Of Color, Discrimination Compounds". NPR. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  4. ^ Neel, Joe (November 21, 2017). "Poll: Majority of LGBTQ Americans Report Harassment, Violence Based On Identity". NPR
  5. ^ "Widespread Discrimination Continues to Shape LGBT People's Lives in Both Subtle and Significant Ways". Center for American Progress. 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  6. ^ thisisloyal.com, Loyal |. "LGBT People's Experiences of Workplace Discrimination and Harassment". Williams Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  7. ^ Thoreson, Ryan (2018-02-19). ""All We Want is Equality"". Human Rights Watch
  8. ^ Mays, Vickie M. & Cochran, Susan D. (2001). "Mental Health Correlates of Perceived Discrimination Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the United States". American Journal of Public Health. 91 (11): 1869–1876. doi:10.2105/AJPH.91.11.1869. PMC 1446893. PMID 11684618. Archived 2020-06-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  9. ^ Kitts, R. (2005). "Gay adolescents and suicide: understanding the association". Adolescence. 40 (159): 621–628. PMID 16268137
  10. ^ Hobbes, Michael (2017-03-01). "Together Alone: the Epidemic of Gay Loneliness". The Huffington Post Highline. Archived 2020-06-17 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-12-03.