The Impact of Stigma and Discrimination Against LGBT People in Florida
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The Impact of Stigma and Discrimination against LGBT People in Florida Christy Mallory, Taylor N.T. Brown, Susan E. Walch & Brad Sears September 2017 AUTHORS This report was primarily researched and authored by: Christy Mallory, JD, State & Local Policy Director and Anna M. Curren Fellow at the Williams Institute; Taylor N.T. Brown, MPP, Policy Analyst at the Williams Institute; Susan E. Walch, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of West Florida; Brad Sears, JD, Associate Dean at UCLA School of Law and Executive Director and Roberta A. Conroy Scholar of Law and Policy at the Williams Institute. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In addition, the following scholars made substantial contributions to the paper: Jody L. Herman, PhD, Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute co-authored the section on the impact of gender identity discrimination in Texas on Medicaid and housing programs and services. Andrew R. Flores, Assistant Professor at Mills College, researched and authored the section on public opinion. This report was informed by an approach to understand the economic consequences of stigma and discrimination articulated in: M.V. LEE BADGETT, SHEILA NEZHAD, KEES WAALDIJK & YANA VAN DER MEULEN RODGERS, USAID & WILLIAMS INST., THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LGBT INCLUSION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: AN ANALYSIS OF EMERGING ECONOMIES 2 (2014) We thank Kerith J. Conron, Blachford-Cooper Distinguished Scholar and Research Director at the Williams Institute, for her review and contributions to the research presented in this report. TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................1 Section I. LGBT Population, Legal Landscape, and Social Climate ........................................7 A. LGBT Demographics ...........................................................................................................7 1. LGBT Adults .................................................................................................................7 2. LGBT Youth ..................................................................................................................9 B. Legal Landscape for LGBT People ...................................................................................11 C. Public Opinion on LGBT Issues ........................................................................................19 Section II. Stigma and Discrimination against LGBT Adults and Youth in Florida ............25 A. Discrimination and Harassment against LGBT People .....................................................25 1. Employment Discrimination ........................................................................................25 2. Discrimination in Housing and Public Accommodations ............................................30 B. Bullying and Family Rejection of LGBT Youth ...............................................................32 1. Bullying and Harassment in Schools ...........................................................................32 2. Family Rejection ..........................................................................................................36 Section III. Impact of Stigma and Discrimination on LGBT Individuals ..............................38 A. Economic Instability ..........................................................................................................38 1. Wage Gaps ...................................................................................................................38 2. Poverty .........................................................................................................................40 B. Health Disparities...............................................................................................................42 1. LGBT Adults ...............................................................................................................42 2. LGBT Youth ................................................................................................................49 Section IV. Economic Impact of Stigma and Discrimination against LGBT People .............54 A. Approach to Analyzing Economic Implications of Stigma and Discrimination against LGBT People .....................................................................................................................54 B. Economic Impact of Harassment and Discrimination against LGBT People in the Workplace and Other Settings ...........................................................................................56 1. The Business Case for Diversity ..................................................................................57 C. Economic Impact of LGBT Health Disparities ................................................................62 1. Illustration of Excess Costs Associated with LGBT Major Depressive Disorder .......63 2. Illustration of Excess Costs Associated with LGBT Smoking ....................................65 3. Illustration of Excess Costs Associated with LGBT Binge Drinking..........................66 D. Economic Impact of Bullying and Family Rejection of LGBT Youth .............................67 1. School Outcomes .........................................................................................................68 2. Overrepresentation in Foster Care, Juvenile Justice System, and among the Homeless Population ....................................................................................................................69 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................70 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Florida is home to over 663,000 LGBT adults and 100,100 State Ranking on LGBT Social Climate Scores LGBT youth. LGBT people in Florida lack important legal protections and face a less supportive social climate than LGBT people in many other states. For example, statewide laws in Florida offer no protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in areas such as employment, housing, and public accommodations. State laws in Florida also fail to adequately protect LGBT students from bullying. In terms of social climate, Florida ranks 25th in the nation on public support for LGBT rights and acceptance of LGBT people. However, a growing number of businesses and localities in Florida have adopted LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination policies, and social attitudes toward LGBT people are becoming more positive over time. The legal landscape and social climate for LGBT people in Florida likely contributes to an environment in which LGBT people experience stigma and discrimination. Stigma and discrimination can take many forms, including discrimination and harassment in employment and other settings; bullying and family rejection of LGBT youth; overrepresentation in the criminal justice system; and violence. Research has linked stigma and discrimination against LGBT people to negative effects on individuals, businesses, and the economy. In this study, we provide data and research documenting the prevalence of several forms of stigma and discrimination against LGBT adults and youth in Florida, including discrimination and harassment in employment, housing, and public accommodations; bullying and harassment in schools; and family rejection of LGBT youth. We discuss the implications of such stigma and discrimination on LGBT individuals, in terms of health and economic security; on employers, in terms of employee productivity, recruitment, and retention; and on the economy, in terms of health care costs and reduced productivity. 1 To the extent that Florida is able to move toward creating a more supportive environment for LGBT people, it would likely reduce economic instability and health disparities experienced by LGBT individuals, which, in turn, would benefit the state, employers, and the economy. KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: Prevalence of Stigma and Discrimination against LGBT People in Florida LGBT People in Florida Experience Discrimination in Employment, Housing, and Public Accommodations A 2017 survey of faculty and staff at the University of West Florida found that 18.6% of LGBQ employees reported one or more experiences of derogatory treatment based on sexual orientation on campus in the prior year. Incidents of derogatory treatment included a range of experiences, such as insensitive or demeaning verbal or written comments (16.3%), unfair treatment (7.0%), exclusion (2.3%), and harassment/bullying (4.7%). A prior survey of faculty and staff at the University of West Florida conducted in 2013 found that 45.5% of LGBQ faculty and staff reported one or more experiences of derogatory treatment on the basis of sexual orientation in the prior year: 45.5% reported insensitive or demeaning verbal or written comments, 13.6% reported unfair treatment, and 9.1% reported exclusion. In response to a 2016 survey of over 200 LGBT people in Jacksonville, Florida, 57.4% said they had experienced some form of discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity within the five years prior to the survey. More specifically, 28% of respondents reported experiencing employment discrimination and 7% reported experiencing housing discrimination within the five years prior to the survey. In addition, many LGBT respondents reported experiencing discrimination in public accommodations within the five years prior to the survey: 23% of respondents said they had experienced