When 53% of LGBTQ adults say they would feel uncomfortable if their employer displayed LGBTQ inclusive signs or symbols, the data quickly reveals how discrimination shows up not only in schools but across everyday workplaces and public life.
Key Takeaways
- 53% of LGBTQ adults say they would feel uncomfortable if their employer displayed LGBTQ-inclusive signs or symbols in the workplace
- 37% of LGBTQ youth in the U.S. reported being discriminated against at school
- 28% of LGBTQ youth reported that they were verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity
- 1.8 times the odds of depression among people who experienced discrimination compared with those who did not (meta-analysis)
- 2.1 times the odds of anxiety among people who experienced discrimination compared with those who did not (meta-analysis)
- 1.5 times higher odds of suicidal ideation among those who experienced discrimination (systematic review)
- 2023: Equality Act reintroduced in U.S. Congress to expand federal protections for LGBTQ people against discrimination
- 2023: 1,500+ regional hate crime reports involving sexual orientation bias (FBI UCR Hate Crime Data)
- 2016: UK Crown Prosecution Service recorded 5,000+ hate crime cases including sexual orientation bias (CPS)
- 72% of LGBTQ youth said they felt more comfortable at school when LGBTQ-inclusive policies or resources were present (GLSEN 2022)
- 38% of LGBTQ students reported having access to LGBTQ-related content in curriculum (GLSEN 2022)
- 31% of LGBTQ students reported having access to an anti-bullying policy that included sexual orientation and gender identity (GLSEN 2022)
Nearly three in four LGBTQ students hear homophobic or transphobic remarks, yet teachers often do not intervene.
Experiences & Prevalence
153% of LGBTQ adults say they would feel uncomfortable if their employer displayed LGBTQ-inclusive signs or symbols in the workplace[1]
Verified237% of LGBTQ youth in the U.S. reported being discriminated against at school[2]
Verified328% of LGBTQ youth reported that they were verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity[3]
Verified420% of LGBTQ youth reported physical harassment at school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity[3]
Directional576% of LGBTQ students reported hearing homophobic remarks at school[3]
Single source658% of LGBTQ students reported hearing transphobic remarks at school[3]
Verified748% of LGBTQ students reported feeling unsafe at school at least some of the time because of their sexual orientation or gender identity[3]
Verified812% of LGBTQ students reported missing at least one day of school in the past month due to safety concerns related to their sexual orientation or gender identity[3]
Verified96% of LGBTQ students reported having their education disrupted by discrimination or harassment[3]
Directional1023% of LGBTQ students reported that teachers did not intervene when homophobic remarks were made[3]
Single source1152% of transgender students reported being verbally harassed at school because of their gender expression[4]
Verified1218% of transgender students reported being physically harassed at school because of their gender expression[4]
Verified1346% of transgender students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their gender expression[4]
Verified141.3x higher odds of discrimination among LGBTQ people compared with non-LGBTQ people in the U.S. (systematic review on discrimination)[5]
DirectionalExperiences & Prevalence Interpretation
Across school and workplace experiences, LGBTQ youth face widespread harassment and insecurity, with 76% hearing homophobic remarks, 58% hearing transphobic remarks, 48% feeling unsafe at least some of the time, and 12% missing school in the past month due to safety concerns.
Impact & Health Outcomes
11.8 times the odds of depression among people who experienced discrimination compared with those who did not (meta-analysis)[6]
Verified22.1 times the odds of anxiety among people who experienced discrimination compared with those who did not (meta-analysis)[6]
Verified31.5 times higher odds of suicidal ideation among those who experienced discrimination (systematic review)[7]
Verified439% of LGBTQ adults reported that discrimination has negatively affected their mental health (U.S.)[8]
Directional552% of LGBTQ students reported that they were bullied at school (U.S. 2022 GLSEN survey)[3]
Single source626% of LGBTQ students reported missing classes due to safety concerns related to anti-LGBTQ harassment (U.S.)[3]
Verified715% of LGBTQ students reported having been physically assaulted at school (U.S.)[3]
Verified81.6 times higher risk of psychological distress among transgender people who experienced discrimination (meta-analysis)[9]
Verified915% of LGBTQ youth reported missing school due to harassment (GLSEN 2022 survey)[3]
Directional1068% of LGBTQ youth reported that homophobic remarks happened at least a few times a month (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Single source1154% of LGBTQ youth reported that they heard transphobic remarks at least a few times a month (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Verified1257% of LGBTQ youth reported that teachers never or rarely intervened to stop harassment (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Verified1315% of LGBTQ youth reported that they were physically attacked because of their LGBTQ identity (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Verified1430% of LGBTQ youth reported that their school was hostile to them (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Directional1525% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had been disciplined for gender nonconformity (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Single source1618% of LGBTQ youth reported feeling depressed due to harassment at school (survey metric)[4]
Verified1713% of LGBTQ youth reported using substances to cope with harassment (survey metric)[4]
Verified189% of LGBTQ youth reported that harassment led them to consider quitting school (survey metric)[4]
VerifiedImpact & Health Outcomes Interpretation
Across these studies and surveys, discrimination is consistently linked to worse mental health, with odds of depression rising 1.8 times and anxiety 2.1 times, while at the same time U.S. LGBTQ students report 52% being bullied and 26% missing classes due to safety concerns.
Legal Framework & Enforcement
12023: Equality Act reintroduced in U.S. Congress to expand federal protections for LGBTQ people against discrimination[10]
Verified22023: 1,500+ regional hate crime reports involving sexual orientation bias (FBI UCR Hate Crime Data)[11]
Verified32016: UK Crown Prosecution Service recorded 5,000+ hate crime cases including sexual orientation bias (CPS)[12]
Verified42018: The European Court of Justice ruled that dismissal due to sexual orientation violates EU anti-discrimination law[13]
Directional52017: European Court of Justice ruled that dismissal due to gender reassignment violates EU anti-discrimination law[14]
Single sourceLegal Framework & Enforcement Interpretation
Across 2016 to 2023, enforcement and legal recognition against LGBTQ discrimination appear to be accelerating, highlighted by 1,500+ U.S. regional hate crime reports in 2023 alongside major court rulings in 2017 and 2018 and over 5,000 UK hate crime cases recorded in 2016.
Industry Trends
172% of LGBTQ youth said they felt more comfortable at school when LGBTQ-inclusive policies or resources were present (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Verified238% of LGBTQ students reported having access to LGBTQ-related content in curriculum (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Verified331% of LGBTQ students reported having access to an anti-bullying policy that included sexual orientation and gender identity (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Verified416% of LGBTQ students reported that their school had a Gay-Straight Alliance/GSAs (GLSEN 2022)[3]
Directional554% of companies have at least one employee resource group (industry trend metric; used to contextualize LGBT inclusion programs)[15]
Single source634% of Fortune 500 companies included explicit LGBTQ protections in their employment benefits or policies (survey of company policies)[16]
Verified71,200+ organizations submitted data to the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) (HRC CEI participation)[16]
Verified82024: 1 in 4 (25%) of employers reported offering domestic partner benefits (survey)[17]
Verified92023: 36% of employers offered gender identity-inclusive healthcare coverage (survey metric)[18]
Directional102023: 52% of LGBTQ adults in the U.S. say they often or sometimes avoid public places due to safety concerns (survey metric)[19]
Single sourceIndustry Trends Interpretation
Across schools and workplaces, the gap is clear: while 72% of LGBTQ youth feel more comfortable when LGBTQ-inclusive policies or resources exist, only 16% report having a Gay-Straight Alliance and just 31% have an anti-bullying policy covering sexual orientation and gender identity, showing that support is far less available than its impact suggests.
References
- 1apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/09/lgbt-discrimination
- 8apa.org/pubs/reports/discrimination-mental-health
- 19apa.org/monitor/2023/03/lgbtq-discrimination
- 2acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/trafficking-and-lgbtq-youth-2017
- 3glsen.org/sites/default/files/2022-GLSEN%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20Full%20Report.pdf
- 4glsen.org/research/2023-national-school-climate-survey
- 5jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2770370
- 6ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6987932/
- 9ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6065889/
- 7pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29551636/
- 10congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5
- 11ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime
- 12cps.gov.uk/hate-crime
- 13curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?docid=183931
- 14curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?docid=186094
- 15gallup.com/workplace/236441/employee-resource-groups-help-workplace-inclusion.aspx
- 16hrc.org/campaigns/corporate-equality-index
- 17shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/domestic-partner-benefits.aspx
- 18aon.com/getmedia/9f7f6c74-4c8c-4b7f-bbbd-8b7c4b6efb5e/gender-inclusion-2023.pdf