HRC finds more than half of all LGBT+ employees don’t come out at work

A new study from the Human Rights Campaign has found that more than half of all LGBT+ workers do not feel comfortable coming out at work, the same number as a decade ago. HRC surveyed 1,615 workers both gay and straight and found LGBT+ respondents still feared being stereotyped, making others uncomfortable, and damaging relationships.

Deena Fidas, director of HRC’s Workplace Equality Program, explained the results in a statement: “While LGBTQ-inclusive corporate policies are becoming the norm, LGBTQ workers too often face a climate of bias in their workplace. LGBTQ employees are still avoiding making personal and professional connections at work because they fear coming out.”

The study also found that while 80 percent of non-LGBT+ workers wanted LGBT+ people to feel comfortable and not hide who they are, 36 percent of them said they would feel uncomfortable hearing an LGBT+ colleague talk about dating, and 56 percent said it was unprofessional to talk about sexual orientation or gender identity at work.

While HRC’s Corporate Equality Index has found a huge increase in the number of LGBT-inclusive workplace policies implemented at Fortune 500 companeis, over half of all LGBT+ employees surveyed said they still hear jokes about lesbians and gay men, and one in five have been told to dress more feminine or masculine.

“Even the best-of-the-best private sector employers with top-rated policies and practices must do more to nurture a climate of inclusion for all,” adds Fidas.

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