LGBT Rights: A Fight for Equality and Dignity - Essay Sample

Overview

The universal declaration of human rights of the United Nations states that all human beings are born free and with equal dignity and also rights. The idea was adopted in institutions throughout the world but there are significant groups that have not been granted the equal rights and dignity that they deserve. One major group that has struggled to survive is one of lesbian, gay, bisexual and the transgender people as well. They have a fundamental right to live, work and also love according to the way they feel. However, these people have not enjoyed their rights particularly those concerning the right to employment. There has been discrimination in the workplace as a result of individual sexual orientation while these countries still have anti-discrimination legislation, which has provided less and insufficient protection for them. This paper will review the struggles of homosexuals in the workplace. They seem more discriminated compared to the heterosexual orientation. They struggle with issues of employment protection, and there is a need for social protection and social dialogue.

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Fundamental Principles and the Rights of Workers

In the majority of the countries, there is a continued criminalization of same-sex relations, and there is the absence of legislation to protect the rights of homosexual workers. In countries where the laws exist, the employment law lists the prohibition of sexual orientation and gender equality as a ground for discrimination.

One major thing that people should be aware of is that legislation does not in any way stop the discrimination issues. Even when there are progressive legislation existing, workers do not always access the legal redress. There are many homosexuals that report their reluctance to file a formal complaint regarding discrimination because they could incur a potential economic loss as a result of losing their job and also because they lack confidence in the procedures of the complaint.

It is possible that when there is legislation passed to outlaw the discrimination against the homosexual people in the workplace, the media coverage can generate an influence in the real societal shift towards greater tolerance. It is important that there is the presence of a supportive attitude from the society, workers and also employers which will act as a prerequisite for the effective application of the law.

Experience of Homosexual People at Work

It is very common for homosexual workers to face discrimination at work such that it has become almost something that they would expect. They frequently experience harassment not only in the workplaces but also in other areas such as education, which hampers their employment prospects. Generally, any institution offering social services has had an encounter with a homosexual and they have had to choose the heterosexual.

Discrimination goes on even in accessing employment as well as throughout the entire cycle. It can result in these workers being mobbed, bullied and being assaulted either physically or sexually or both. The issues of discrimination, harassment and also exclusion from the force of labor experienced by the homosexuals can happen because of the perceived non-conformity with the heteronormativity. People have the belief that being heterosexual is the normal thing for society. This way, the homosexuals find it difficult to thrive because society and the public have the notion that they are not normal.

There are societal preconceptions concerning the manner in which people should conduct themselves in terms of appearance and behavior. This way, when the behavior and appearance are contrary to the expectations of the public, they feel that there is no need to be associated with them hence the discrimination. In most cases, women who are perceived to be masculine and the men who are feminine will suffer discrimination and harassment.

In many cases, there have been reports that homosexual workers have experienced being asked questions concerning their personal lives and the need to justify that they are not heterosexual. There are others that have been asked to prove their femininity or masculinity so that they can get accepted at the workplace and to have their contribution valued.

The fear of discriminatory treatment and violence in these places leads to homosexual workers having to keep their sexual orientation a secret. There are some of them that have been forced to change the name of their partners during conversations at the workplace just to be safe from being harassed. Others have had to simply avoid the discussions concerning their private lives because they know it will be better that way. However, the secretive life that they need to live can cause considerable anxiety as well as the loss of productivity.

Wage Inequality

There is a significant wage difference in terms of the wage difference between the homosexuals and the heterosexuals. The homosexuals have a significantly lower income compared to their heterosexual counterparts. The inequality exists because of the strong prejudices from the employers and fellow employees. The women find it even harder because in many industry branches, they are employed as unskilled workers or semi-skilled.

Employment Promotion

There are many homosexual workers who have reported having been refused jobs as a result of their sexual orientation. It has happened also in the job interviews where the employers perceive that including such people in their employee team may be a way of bringing the organization down. There are many of them that have been denied jobs because their gender expression in terms of mannerism, voice and also clothing does not match the legal gender identity. The homosexual workers also report being unfairly dismissed or getting denied promotions even when they have been working tirelessly towards it.

The homosexual workers are said to be suitable for some occupations and not others. In some countries, they are encouraged to find for jobs at call centers and in customer services. They get discouraged from working in industries such as mining. The women also report greater acceptance in the entertainment and also service sectors. Generally, homosexual workers stay away from employments that require formalities hence end up taking a freelance or informal jobs.

The transwomen, in particular, find more social acceptance and better pay in sex work. However, it is quite a dangerous line of work because they are prone to HIV infection and there is a great decrease in their life expectancy. Only a few of them are able to reach old age. Others are unable to persevere and die on their way. There is a need to look into the needs of these individuals and act accordingly in support of their rights.

Privileges that Heterosexuals Enjoy in the Workplace

There is a range of benefits that the heterosexuals enjoy in the workplace compared to the homosexuals. If one is perceived to the straight, they can find it easier to live without having to think twice, engage, confront or cope with issues of discrimination as it is the case for the heterosexuals. It is generally easier to be straight in the workplace.

Heterosexuals easily receive public recognition as well as the support for an intimate relationship. They get congratulations messages for an engagement, unlike the heterosexuals where no one is in support. Heterosexuals can easily express affection even in social situations and do not expect a hostile reaction from others, unlike homosexual couples who have to hide.

Heterosexuals receive social acceptance from the society hence enjoy the privilege of being perceived as the right thing to do or be. They are said to have positive and accurate media images while the homosexuals are known to be inappropriate. They do not have to worry about being the only one of their sexuality in the workplace. It is unlike the homosexuals who are quite a few hence it is expected that they only make 1% of the total population of their sexuality in the social situation. Heterosexuals can talk openly about their relationship. They can also work well in the firm because their job is dominated by people of their gender and they do not have to feel that they are a representative of their sexuality like the homosexuals.

Effects of Homosexuality Discrimination in the Workplace

There are drastic effects of discrimination in the society and particularly to the homosexual persons that are receiving it first-hand. There is a consistent report of higher stress and poorer health among the homosexuals because of being discriminated in the workplace. Most of these individuals think that it is better that they are quiet about their lives. This way, they do not get to share many things with their co-workers because they cannot be trusted. Thus, they gain no emotional support hence they suffer from inside and develop stress as a result.

Discrimination also affects the mental health and the physical health of an individual. It leads to issues of anxiety, depression, and problems with substance use. These individuals find themselves engaging in the intake of drugs and substance because they perceive it to be the only way out of their problems. They find it an ideal measure to deal with depression and anxiety because substances like alcohol with cause temporary loss of memories and they will be able to forget for a while that they encountered harassment during a certain time.

Majority of the homosexuals are not self-confident because the reason they get discriminated is an issue of their personality, and behavior. This way, they may have the notion that they are not adequate and that no matter what they do, the society will always judge them. It leads to lower self-esteem and may have suicidal thoughts, and problems. The society will be their only solution if they agree to drop the discriminatory ideas and accept them as being normal.

The other employees may also be affected as well. People that are associated with the victim may feel that they will also be discriminated against their beliefs. An example is when there are employees who are in support of homosexuality yet they are heterosexuals and the firm does not support the same will be affected. They are also likely to experience high-stress levels, hostility from the rest, mistrust, suspicion, resentment and also rivalry.

Negative emotions are contagious in the workplace. The firm will experience reduced communication, teamwork, productivity, morale and also focus because of the problematic atmosphere. Homosexual workers will have less motivation to perform well and in the in case of their talented self, the company is likely to lose a professional employee.

There are also financial consequences of homosexuality discrimination at the workplace as a result of lawsuits in the event where the employee decides to take matters to the court. The firm has not to incur expenses for the attorneys that were not in their budget. In other cases, the company can also face financial impacts when there are fines imposed by the federal equal employment opportunity commission. These fines could also be from the state agency that handles discrimination.

The firm will lose money because of a reduction in productivity and also investigating discrimination can cost money. In the case where there is the resignation of employees because of incidences of discrimination, the firm will need to hire and train other employees that are to replace the gone ones and that comes at a cost. Similarly, if the news concerning discrimination gets revealed to the public, one could also suffer harm to the reputation of the company and...