A growing number of policies and protections support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people in the United States. This follows a period that began with Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1953 ban on federal gay and lesbian employees and includes Barack Obama’s repeal of the U.S. Army’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy in 2011.

In 2024, nearly 14 million adults were part of the LGBTQI+ community in the United States. According to a survey by EY, 20% of Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQI+ and the generation will comprise 30% of the workforce by 2030.

History of the LGBTQI+ Workplace

In the 1950s, gay and lesbian employees were removed from federal government and intelligence jobs during the Lavender Scare. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower banned gays from federal employment; this 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:executive order was in effect until 1973 and wasn't revoked until 2017. The Supreme Court refused to hear the 1961 case of Frank Kameny, who was fired at 32 from his job as an astronomer in the Army Map Service because he was gay.

President Bill Clinton enforced the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" (DADT) measure forcing LGBTQI+ military members to keep their sexual orientation or gender identity secret. President Obama repealed DADT in 2011. In 2013, a Supreme Court 5-4 ruling denied same-sex spouses—in states where same-sex marriage is legal—the right to receive federal benefits. Just two years later, same-sex marriage was legalized on the federal level.

In 2017, Kimberly Hively, an adjunct math professor at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, sued her employer after she was fired for being a lesbian and won the case in the U.S. Court of Appeals. In 2019, President Donald Trump banned the majority of transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. In 2020, however, LGBTQI+ individuals won a landmark case in the Supreme Court (Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia), protecting them from being fired solely on their 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:sexual ori✱entation or gender identity. A record 206 large corporations signed on to an amici curiae brief filed with the court to support LGBTQI+ employees.

Protections and Challenges Since 2020

President Joe Biden enacted critical LGBTQI+ workplace protections. An executive order signed on January 20, 2021, his first day in office, ensured that LGBTQI+ employees would receive the same protections against discrimination as other classes of protected individuals.

President Biden also removed hurdles to benefits, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:insurance coverage, and care for underrepresented populations. This reversed a previous executive order by former President Donald Trump. President Biden also reversed the ban enacted in 2019 to ban openly transgender individuals from serving in the military.

In Jan. 2025, newly elected President Trump changed course and signed an executive order banning transgender troops. Additionally, the Trump administration plans to reduce the federal workforce and budget, affecting nearly 314,000 LGBTQI+ federal employees.

Workforce Numbers

The U.S. Census Bureau began collecting gender identity and sexual orientation data in 2021. Estimates show LGBTQI+ individuals make up 5.9% of the U.S. workforce.

A study from McKinsey found that the LGBTQI+ community is underrepresented in the workplace, especially at senior levels. Respondents noted that it was challenging to discuss elements of their personal lives, and felt pressure to dispel incorrect assumptions about themselves, because they are the only person, or one of the only people, of their sexual orientation or gender identity in their workplace.

A June 2022 report of responses from more than 4,000 LGBTQI+ employees revealed that LGBTQI+ employees were more likely to face microaggressions: nearly one-third of those surveyed reported experiencing a microaggression or an indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. Surveyed LGBTQI+ employees reported feeling less connected to others at work. McKinsey's research shows that the LGBTQI+ community is underrepresented in the workplace, and more vulnerable and less able to share elements of their personal experiences in job spaces.

Transgender Representation 

Transgender individuals account for roughly 1.6 million U.S. adults and face distinct barriers to advancement at work. In the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, 73% of Fortune 500 companies provide trans-inclusive health insurance coverage, up from 34% in 2015.

Transgender adults experience a lower likelihood of being hired and of holding management roles. One study showed that transgender individuals were unemployed at twice the rate of the population as a whole (14% versus 7%), and that "transgender workers are nearly four times more likely than the population as a whole to have a household income of under $10,000."

Leadership Roles

As of 2024, three 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Fortune 500 CEOs were openly part of the LGBTQI+ community. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, who came out as gay in 2014, was the first in the Fortune 500's history to do so. In 2018, Beth Ford, CEO and president of Land O’Lakes Inc., became the first openly gay woman to be CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Jim Fitterling, chair and CEO of Dow Inc., also came out as gay in 2014, after 30 years as an executive in the company.

Macy's, Inc., had an openly gay chairman and CEO, Jeff Gennette, until February 2024. Gennette, a gay man, was elected CEO of Macy’s in March 2017 and became chairman in February 2018. Other corporate senior executives include Martine Rothblatt, founder and CEO of United Therapeutics. Before United Therapeutics, Rothblatt founded SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Jason Grenfell-Gardner, the former CEO of Teligent, was the first openly gay CEO of a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:publicly listed company in the United States. R. Martin Chavez—following his tenure at Goldman Sachs where he was the most senior openly gay executive—is vice chairman and partner at Sixth Street.

The Bottom Line

Corporate and public policy protections for LGBTQI+ workers have evolved. Like other employees, the LGBTQI+ community works to ensure inclusion, visibility, and engagement in the workplace.