IBM study indicates employers need to do more to bridge gaps with LGBTQ community

As social justice initiatives continue to be a primary focus across the U.S., the workplace remains an area where inequality and discrimination is still a reality for many marginalized groups.

While Pew research finds that positive attitudes toward LGBTQ have seen double-digit increases, 45% of lesbian, gay and bisexual people surveyed by IBM and Out & Equal said their employer discriminates against people who share their sexual orientation, and over 66% of those people say they do not feel prepared to rise above these difficulties.

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These challenges can negatively impact the career growth of LGBTQ employees. Indeed, LGBTQ individuals are vastly underrepresented on executive teams throughout the country, as only 7% of senior executives identify as such, according to the survey. Moreover, 9% of those surveyed do not feel the gender they express while at work conforms with their true gender identity.

"What we're seeing is an authenticity gap. Too many LGBTQ people can't show up as their authentic selves at work without facing negative consequences," Deena Fidas, Chief Program and Partnerships Officer for Out & Equal, said in a release. "Too many can't express their true gender identity. We are shining a light on this problem and providing employers with a roadmap they can use to address it."

Employers are going to need all the help they can get if they actually want to create a more inclusive and diverse workplace. Only 17% of CEOs say they rank diversity and inclusion as “the most important organizational attributes for engaging employees,” according to a separate IBM study done earlier this year.

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