Exploring Barriers to the LGBTQ+ Community's Financial Stability and How to Overcome Them
© Andrés Yeah / Culture Trip
Because our mission is to empower women+ to achieve economic independence, we recognize that the LGBTQ+ community faces economic barriers through homelessness, unemployment, and hiring discrimination, that limit their ability to succeed as a group and as individuals. Although LGBTQ+ advocating organizations have taken strides to create sound policies to eliminate such economic obstacles, there is still work to do. Dress for Success Austin seeks to explore a few of these barriers, discuss their effect on the community, and provide concrete steps to overcome them.
Many members of the LGBTQ+ community experience homelessness due to a lack of safe housing resulting from discrimination. According to a 2020 brief published by the Williams Institute, 20% of sexual minorities experienced homelessness before age 18, and 17% of sexual minority adults reported they experienced lifetime homelessness. Homelessness creates many obstacles to finding a reliable job, such as creating gaps in employment history. As stated in a 2014 report published by the Center for American Progress, transgender people faced unemployment rates that were, on average, twice those of the general population. Transgender people with multiple minority identities were the most affected, with Black transgender people unemployed at levels four times the general population. Unfortunately, these rates have steadily risen following the COVID-19 crisis.
Bias towards LGBTQ+ individuals presents an additional hurdle in the hiring process. The Williams Institute conducted a 2007 study that produced consistent evidence of sexual orientation and gender identity employment discrimination. Compared with resumes without any indication of whether an applicant was gay, transgender, or queer, studies with gay, transgender, and queer indicated applicants tended to receive fewer callbacks. A 2018 article by the Center for American Progress explains that 1 in 10 LGBTQ+ people report removing items and experiences from their resumes to conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity. This forces applicants to not only conform to unjust discrimination, but to undervalue themselves as prospective employees.
This discrimination extends beyond the hiring process, according to a 2017 study, which revealed 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ people reported being knowingly discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity when receiving a salary or being considered for a promotion.
There are devastating impacts to these barriers. The Williams Institute tells us in a 2019 report that once factors such as race, age, location, education, disability, language, marital status, employment, health, and children are taken into account, LGBTQ+ people are still more likely to experience poverty than their cisgender straight counterparts.
If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community struggling with similar injustices, the first step you can take is to visit the Center Link website. This website houses links to LGBTQ+ career opportunities and community centers in any state.
In the Austin area, Dress for Success is uniquely equipped to help you find and secure a good job. We offer a free Path to Employment mentorship program for anyone looking to uplevel their career. This six-week course allows participants to work with a mentor to develop tools for lifelong success, including goal setting, resume building, job search strategizing and interview skills. If you’re unable to commit to the P2E program, you can work on the same career skills with a one-on-one career consulting appointment! We offer virtual appointments with our trained volunteers seven days a week and in-person appointments at the DFSA office on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am-4 pm! We also offer complimentary professional clothing for all interviewing or newly employed women+, including trans women and nonbinary folx.
If you or a loved one have been impacted by the issues mentioned above, here are links to some helpful resources:
Equality Texas Equality Fellows Program for Leadership Development
Out Youth Resource Guide (Includes Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth Wellness, Housing, Education, Financial Stability and More!)