LGBTQ+ workers more likely to experience microaggressions

In a McKinsey survey, nearly one-third of surveyed LGBTQ+ employees reported experiencing a microaggression at the workplace—being interrupted or talked over, for example. This figure jumps, however, depending on the different subsets within the LGBTQ+ community, say partner Monne Williams and coauthors. For instance, LGBTQ+ women and transgender employees were more likely than gay men to report experiencing microaggressions at work.

Bisexual and transgender employees are more likely than other surveyed employees to report experiencing microaggressions at work.

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Scattered data points, representing results of responses to three key questions about microaggressions, are organized by self-identified sexual orientation and gender. The first key question was on how often respondents were interrupted or spoken over more than others. The second key question was around how often a respondent’s judgment in their area of expertise was questioned. The third key question was on how often respondents felt they had to be careful talking about their private lives. Overall the exhibit displays that straight people, especially straight men, report the least of any aggressions, while gay men/women, bisexual/pansexual men/women, and trans men/women each report overall increasing microaggressions in that order, with nonbinary respondents seemingly most effected of all.

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To read the article, see “Active allyship: Do your LGBTQ+ employees feel supported and included?,” June 29, 2022.