
Out & Equal’s latest Workplace Survey shows that support for LGBT inclusiveness is dropping across the United States.
Last year, 47 percent of all respondents said they supported policies that ban discrimination against LGBT people. This year, that number was 43 percent.
While LGBT support for polices that ban LGBT discrimination increased from 76 percent to 84 percent over the past year, that jump was not enough to counteract the decrease in support from heterosexual people – both allies and non-allies. Support for these policies decreased for allies (from 81 percent last year to 73 percent in 2012) and non-allies (from 29 percent last year to 22 percent in 2012).
Similarly, LGBT individuals are more empowered this year than last when it comes to speaking up about discrimination (an increase from 61 percent to 75 percent). On the other hand, heterosexual support has dropped here as well, from 64 percent to 62 percent for allies, and 16 percent to 10 percent for non-allies.
Nevertheless, the organization says the support LGBT employees do receive from allies is important. “Ending all forms of discrimination in the workplace benefits all employees,” says Selisse Berry, Founding Executive Director of the organization. She continues, “It’s breathtaking to see how many more allies gave stronger voice to our issues and stand buy us to defeat unequal treatment.”
Noting the uptick in the percentage of LGBT indivdials feeling empowered to call out discriminatory behavior, Berry added, “We know our mission is strengthened when we see more LGBT employees able to summon the courage to speak up when they see or experience discrimination.”


















