Report: Majority of LGBT Workers Remain Closeted on the Job

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation on Wednesday released a report detailing that a majority of LGBT workers – 53 percent – remain closeted on the job.

“The Cost of the Closet and the Rewards of Inclusion” highlights the American workplace climate in the absence of federal protections like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) – a bill passed in the Senate last year that House leadership has refused to bring up for a vote.

Without that legislation, LGBT workers “face a national patchwork of legal protections, leaving many to hide who they are for fear of discrimination in the workplace and in their communities,” according to Deena Fidas, director of HRC’s Workplace Equality Program, in a statement announcing the report.

The report notes that one in four employees who identify as LGBT say they’ve heard negative comments at work such as “that’s so gay,” and one in five say they’ve looked for a new job specifically because of an unwelcoming workplace environment.

For more findings, read the full report at www.hrc.org/climate.