Kyra Sampson
Race and Ethnicity Brief
03/01/15
Is Queer the New Black? Racial Disparities Say Otherwise
Key Words: LGBTQ, structural discrimination, interpersonal discrimination, School-to-Prison
Pipeline
Description: Individuals who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans*-gender and queer
constantly face difficulties, but it can be said that the issue they face the most is discrimination.
However, within the LGBTQ community itself, discrimination can occur and there is a likely
chance that it may be race-related. This issue brief is going to focus on the ways in which
discrimination amongst LGBTQ communities has the potential to be racially-driven. It will then
continue to explore the consequences that this sort of prejudice brings forth.
Key Points:
1) Discrimination persists against LGBTQ persons in the work, housing
and educational sectors within society
a. LGBTQ persons of color face the brunt of that discrimination to do
factors beyond their control (racial/ethnic/cultural identities)
2) LGBTQ students of color don't receive the support they need
within their school environments. Thus, that lack of support and experienced
verbal and physical assault hinder them from completing school
3) LGBTQ employees of color are less likely to thrive in the workplace as they are at risk of
feeling uncomfortable and being sequestered within their own work environments
4) LGBTQ employees are at risk of being paid less than their white counterparts
while also being denied certain work benefits
(campuspride.org)
Discrimination against individuals who identify as LGBTQ is widespread and most
visible in areas like employment, housing, education and human services. While many LGBTQ
persons may begin to experiences extreme social consequences after revealing their sexual
orientation, extreme anti-homo or trans*-sexual bias accompanied with blatant and ubiquitous
structural and interpersonal discrimination based on race is particularly devastating for Black
non-heterosexual persons as well as other people of color.
With regards to discrimination, two types of discrimination often initially come to mind
including structural discrimination -- "policies and practices that limit access to goods and
services to a specific group of people" -- and interpersonal discrimination -- "the unfair treatment
of individuals that is not systematic, but occurs on a micro-basis between persons" (Taylor and
Francis). When it comes to LGBTQ workers or color in America, structural discrimination, in
particular, is something that these individuals experience often as their race, sexual orientation
and gender identity become furthermore intersected before, during and after employment. While
the American LGBTQ community is more "racially and ethnically diverse than the U.S
population as a whole" with 33% of the community identifying as of color, it can be said that
these persons of color experience more discrimination in the work-place than their counterparts
(lgbtqmaps). There are three main obstacles that are pertinent to the LGBTQ worker of color
experience including: (1) Educational barriers, (2) Hiring Bias and On-the Job and (3) Unequal
Pay, Benefits and Taxation.
Educational Barriers
While equal access to exceptional education is still an issue for many in the United States,
LGBTQ students of color are amongst those severely affected by the US educational system. In
fact, LGBTQ students of color are thought to be a part of the groups "most at risk of falling
through the [educational] system's cracks" -- an unfortunate belief as it is a well-known fact that
a quality education is something most if not all individuals need in order to increase their
chances of getting well-paying jobs in the future (lgbtqmaps). A number of these students find
themselves attending certain schools where they may feel unsafe due to sexual and verbal
harassment and other types of physical and psychological assault. A 2007 study showed that
48% of LGBTQ students of color experienced verbal harassment because of their sexual
orientation and their race. It also showed that 15% of students within the category had been
physically harassed or assaulted. Furthermore, many of these students attend schools that are
under-funded. Thus, LGBTQ students of color along with the rest of their students are not
receiving the proper educational and developmental support that they need in order to be
successful in the future. In academic environments like these, expulsions and suspensions may
be ubiquitous and thus students are more likely to become less motivated and/or they may feel
the want to drop out; this idea is often thought to be associated with the School-to-Prison
Pipeline.
(glesen.org)
Hiring Bias and On-the Job and Unequal Pay, Benefits and Taxation
In the workplace, some employers may call for completely unwarranted background checks of
their LGBTQ employees of color which allude to the possibility of futile nondiscrimination laws
being in place. Thus, it makes it harder for these particular employees to be productive in their
own work-environments because they are uncomfortable due to them being treated as outsiders.
Furthermore, often times, there may be a lack of mentorship and/or support for these individuals
on the job. LGBTQ employees of color may then find themselves even more sequester from
success and from their white counterparts. Unequal pay for these employees continues to be an
issue, as well. Most times, LGBTQ employees of color receive less pay than their fellow
employees as gay and/or bi-sexual men of color "earn between 10% and 32% less than a man
who identifies as heterosexual" (NBJC). Not only do a significant number of LGBTQ workers of
color receive less pay, but they are often affected by unfair taxation, as well. In the case of unfair
taxation, these persons may be denied certain familial tax credits and other sorts of deductions
that may have the potential to help them and their families in the long run. With regards to
benefits on the job, benefit eligibility is "usually designed around traditional family structures"
and it's often assumed the children in LGBTQ households aren't the biological children on the
heads of the household (lgbtqmaps). All this having been noted, it is important to emphasize that
with such the blatant discrimination occurring within the workplace, Black and Latino LGBTQ
workers are less likely to be out than other LGBTQ workers. Furthermore, it can also be said that
LGBTQ women of color have it worse than their male counterparts when it comes to surviving
in the workplace; these individuals have that added factor of identifying as female.
What has been done?
With the recent mobilization of millions of compassionate LGBTQ persons and their allies, the
American front on LGBTQ issues has started to shift and for the better as evident from certain
Supreme Court Decisions and the passing of other state legislation. Today, there are more states
than ever before that are passing LGBTQ rights protection legislation and "an electoral coalition
of youth, women, Latinos, Black-Americans, laborers, environmentalists and LGBT persons"
have led to much more progressive voting. That being said, there is more than needs to be done
as discrimination against LGBTQ persons of color continues to persist. These persons need to be
propelled onto a more equal playing field when it comes to education, employment and
employment and societal benefits. Fixing this "broken bargain" will not only help to provide
better opportunities for these workers and their families, but it will let LGBTQ persons of color
know and understand that they do matter in society.
Works Cited:
Whitfield, Darren, Lisa Langerderfer-Margruder, and Brad Clark. "Racial Disparities in Anti-LGBTQ
Legislation." Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services 26.4 (2014): 440. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.
"Injustice at Every Turn: A Look at Black Respondents in Trasngender Discrimination Survey." National
Black Justice Coalition. NBJC, 10 Sept. 2011. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.
"A Broken Bargain for LGBT Workers of Color." LGBTQmap.org. 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.
Relevant Websites
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10538720.2014.955556#abstract
http://nbjc.org/sites/default/files/trans-adjustment-web.pdf
http://www.lgbtmap.org/file/a-broken-bargain-for-lgbt-workers-of-color.pdf
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/race_color.cfm