LGTBI fears people get out of the closet at work
- Nine out of ten people in the LGTBI group keep their sexual orientation secret in front of job managers, and three out of four do not come out of the closet with their peers. Research by the Spanish LGTBI+ Federation talks about causes, fears and dangers.
LGTBI can sometimes appear to be a great visibility thanks to the struggle and work of the movement, but everyday reality is different. The latest research by the Spanish Federation has focused on the work environment and the results are significant. Why keep sexual orientation secret? The main reasons given are the fear of not having promotions, being discriminated against, lack of confidence in the work environment, fear of suffering a phobic LGTB aggression and suspicion of being fired.
Huffington Post brings together several testimonies. Hugo says that he has not kept it secret; all his colleagues are women and “I feel safe”. On the contrary, she is a social educator and with the families of the young people who work she does see dangers in some case related to LGTB phobia.
Lesbians, the higher up, the more secretive
Eva explains that she knows many women who have important responsibilities and positions in the company, and that the higher the position, the higher the visexuality or lesbianism that is kept in the closet, thinking they have more to lose. Eva herself has been doing the same for years: keeping personal life secret in the professional sphere. It also says that this affects labor socialization: “The tension is enormous that around a cafe we have to hide in the office the daily and usual information related to personal life.”
Hugo says that he has not kept it in secret; all his colleagues are women and "I feel safe". Instead, she's a social educator and with families she sees risks.
Law Firm Olympe emphasizes that they receive many consultations and calls from employees who have been fired after having explained sexual orientation. However, it is more common that dismissal does not directly hire LGTBI as a person.
A worrying fact: cases of violence against people in the workplace have increased by 20% from 2020 to 2023.
And the hardest hit are trans people. Only 12.5% are visible at work and more than half of transgender people are directly or indirectly rejected at work interviews.
