HRC Report Examines LGBTQ Women Wage Gap Based on Gender, Sexuality

Women have brought attention to the gender wage gap and worked to change it for many years. Not only has the wage gap widened, but a survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation found that LGBTQ women are also getting paid significantly less than men. 

Yes, you heard right: The wage gap hasn’t lessened, despite the efforts women have made to bring attention to the issue. This could be partially due to the pandemic; however, that isn’t a factor that is integrated into the study.

The HRC study was conducted on more than 2,100 full-time, LGBTQ women workers. The women participating in the study included transgender and cisgender women with a variety of sexual orientations and identities. The study also provides limited information on full-time workers outside or in between the gender binary.

Overall, all women make on average 83 cents for every dollar that men earned last year. However, that amount dips lower for women of different races and ethnicities. Black women made 57 cents to the dollar and Latina women make 49 cents to the dollar. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation found that the gap increases when narrowing the lens to LGBTQ non-men and women. Transgender women make 60 cents to every dollar men earn. Nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and Two-Spirit workers make 10 cents more than transgender women. 

The gender wage gap has always affected women of color on a larger scale than white women; the same goes for LGBTQ women. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) LGBTQ women earn more than any other racial group at 90 cents on the dollar. White LGBTQ women earn three cents less than AANHPI women at 87 cents; Black LGBTQ women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men; Latina LGBTQ women earn the least, at 65 cents.

The gap widens even more depending on how LGBTQ women identify. Lesbian and gay women earn the most at 87 cents to the dollar and queer, pan, demisexual, and omnisexual women made six cents less. Bisexual women earn the least amount of money at 68 cents, a drastic decrease in pay.

Race and sexuality combined lead to an even larger gap. For example, Black and Latina lesbians earn 86 and 65 cents whereas Black bisexual women make 63 cents to the dollar. Latina bisexual women earn the least out of all groups at 50 cents to the dollar. AANHPI lesbians are the highest earners out-earning men—They make $1.08 to every dollar made by a man. 

The breakdown of the statistics is astonishing. Why should someone’s identity impact their earnings and livelihood? Women shouldn’t have to work until March 18, 2022 (longer for queer women of color) to earn as much as men did in 2021.

The drastic difference in pay all LGBTQ women receive impacts their quality of life, especially for queer women of color who face multiple forms of oppression that overlap and affect every aspect of life.