Fighting for Equality: LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day

Today, we join advocates and allies nationwide to observe LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day. This day highlights the systemic inequalities that devalue LGBTQIA+ individuals‘ labor, discriminate against their identities, and deny them the economic security we all deserve. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in our fight for justice and equity in the workplace. 

Wage disparity is a critical issue, reflecting deep-seated discrimination that disproportionately affects LGBTQIA+ workers. According to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, full-time LGBTQIA+ workers earn approximately 90 cents for every dollar earned by the average worker in the United States, with LGBTQIA+ women earning just 79 cents. Transgender and cisgender bisexual women face even higher rates of poverty, highlighting the urgent need for equal pay. 

Economic inequality intersects with various forms of discrimination, including employment, education, and housing discrimination, contributing to financial instability for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Shockingly, 22% of LGBTQIA+ people live in poverty, facing food insecurity at twice the rate of their non-LGBTQIA+ counterparts. In the workplace, one in 5 LGBTQIA+ women in construction face harassment, pushing them out of good jobs and into financial precarity. 

Our advocacy is particularly urgent in the face of numerous pieces of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation this year. We must continue to raise our voices and advocate for comprehensive solutions. Now is the time to support critical legislative measures such as the Equality Act and the LGBTQIA Data Inclusion Act, which are essential for advancing equality and justice for LGBTQIA+ individuals. 

The Equality Act aims to codify national non-discrimination protections in housing, employment, education, finance, and public accommodations based on sex, gender, gender identity, sex characteristics, and sexual orientation. The LGBTQIA+ Data Inclusion Act directs all federal agencies involved in data collection to incorporate standardized measures of sexual orientation and gender identity into their survey tools. Both bills have previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives and are expected to be re-introduced in mid-June. 

MAKE AN IMPACT TODAY

Wage equality is not a distant dream—it is a future we can create together. On LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to building a world where all contributions are valued equally. Join us in advocating for equal pay and justice for all. Together, we can make a lasting impact and ensure everyone thrives.  

#EqualPay #JusticeForAll #LGBTQIAEqualPay #Pride #WageGap #WageDisparity #NCJustice #NCJusticeCenter