1:4 LGBTQ Member Faces Job Discrimination

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LGBTQ Workers face Job Discrimination

Job discrimination is rampant nowadays, especially to the members of the LGBTQ community. Because of their sexual orientation, they are more prone to rejection in jobs and workplace bullying.

The Constitution and human rights laws provide that the principle of equal protection should apply to everyone regardless of their sex. This concept provides safeguards to the third sex that people should not treat them differently.

However, the current status quo shows that many individuals continue to experience work discrimination. It happens because no direct law prohibits companies from denying a person of employment based on sexual orientation. Thus, an employer could terminate a person’s employment simply for that matter.

Recent data presented that 28 states in the US have laws that allow employers to fire a person for being lesbian, gay, or bisexual. On the other hand, 30 regions permit removing transgenders from workplaces.

Out & Equal, an organization which advocates workplace equality, shared that one in four LGBTQ workers get discriminated at their jobs. Among the members of the group, transgenders show most unemployment rates which are thrice as high than the national average.

Others also experience unequal treatment in the workplace. The Williams Institute revealed that men of the third sex receive 10 to 32 percent fewer earnings compared to heterosexuals. However, the same research group stated that the data does not apply to lesbians and bisexual women because they earn more or the same as straight women.

Despite the lack of state laws that protect their employment rights, there are still federal statutes that apply to these situations. One of these statutes is the Equal Pay Act. The bill, implemented in 1963, promotes a fair distribution of wages regardless of sexual orientation.

Another is the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act and Equality Act. Through these bills, the members of the LGBTQ community could now ensure that they receive the same treatment as others regarding work.

The Human Rights Campaign also calls on lawmakers to fix the loopholes of federal laws on workplace equality. The organization suggested setting the statutes’ definitions of specific terms. This recommendation is made to avoid misperception discrimination and should focus on actual characteristics.