If you’re in a hurry, here’s a helpful infographic that sums things up:
That might seem a bit hyperbolic, but the good news is that it actually shows a little progress. The flames were a tiny bit higher last year. But we’ve got more to back up claim that tech is a dumpster fire for queer people than just images and anecdotes. Despite the fact that more people in the US identify as LGBT than ever before, we’re not seeing much progress in the tech sector. Research published by a pair of scientists from the University of Michigan and Temple University earlier this year shows clear and persistent discrimination and inequality against LGBT people in tech. The duo analyzed representative data across five domains from 21 different STEM societies totaling more than 25,000 people, of which approximately 4 percent identified as LGBT. Per the researcher’s paper: The researchers determined that LGBTQ STEM workers were more likely to receive harassment and experience discrimination while simultaneously being less likely to report such incidents. This seems to indicate tech is a hostile environment for queer people whether they’re job seekers or currently employed, with a disproportionate number of LGBTQ workers leaving the sector over their non-queer counterparts. Quick take: nearly half of all LGBTQ workers in STEM have witnessed workplace discrimination. I doubt any queer people will be surprised to learn that the deck is systemically stacked against us. Social media is, as GLAAD recently determined, “effectively unsafe for LGBTQ users.” Artificial intelligence is inherently biased against queers. And big tech hiring practices directly discriminate against us. The question is: What can be done about it? According to the researchers:
