The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce has released the first ever snapshot demonstrating the economic and social impact of America’s leading LGBT business owners and entrepreneurs. The new report explores the types and sizes of LGBT-owned businesses currently certified by the NGLCC, the number of jobs they create, their geography, and the personal narratives of successful LGBT business owners who reflect the very best about America’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.

Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index is the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. In the 2019 CEI report, 571 major businesses — spanning nearly every industry and geography — earned a top score of 100 percent and the distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”

"In The Economic Well-Being of LGBT Adults in the U.S. in 2019, the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR) analyzes data from the Federal Reserve’s 2019 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking to create a detailed picture of the financial experiences of LGBT adults before the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds evidence of significant gaps between LGBT and non-LGBT adults in income, savings, employment, housing, banking & credit, and financial security."

Published by Out Now, this report presents a measurement of the financial impacts LGBT diversity policies make in the average workplace. The full report can be downloaded with registration.

LGBT Economic Security is one of the policy issue areas Movement Advancement Project (MAP) works on. This page offers resources that provide an overview of the economic challenges LGBT people face simply because they are LGBT, including the “Paying An Unfair Price” report series released in partnership with economic security and LGBT organizations.

This page offers resources equal access, workplace protections, marriage equality, and more for diverse groups of workers. Advancing LGBT Workplace Rights (PDF, 701KB), the department's 2014 report details the progress made up to that point in time and the work in progress to advance LGBT workplace equality and to ensure LGBT workers and their families can share in the benefits of a growing economy.

Open For Business reports represent comprehensive evidence base for the economic and business case for LGBT+ inclusion. The reports synthesize hundreds of academic studies, business reports, data set, and expert perspectives into a clear and convincing case that shows LGBT+ inclusion is good for business and good for economic growth.

A comprehensive study from the Center for American Progress finds that many LGBTQ people continue to face discrimination in their personal lives, in the workplace and the public sphere, and in their access to critical health care.

The goal of this report is to uncover the prevalence of LGBTQ workers feeling pressure to hide their sexual orientation and/ or gender identity on the job and the cost of that hiding both to individuals and employers writ large. Conversely, it also looks into the benefits to employers and workers when workplace climates are more welcoming of LGBTQ people.

By Diana Ellsworth, Ana Mendy, and Gavin Sullivan, 23 June, 2020.
This article points out the many challenges that still exist in the workplace for the LGBTQ+ community, despite the progress made in recent years. It calls companies to move beyond public gestures of support to take specific steps to ensure safe and welcoming environments for LGBTQ+ employees.

ISSN: 2158-3889
Weeks, Kelly P. 2015. "Attracting and Retaining Entrepreneurs: The Role of City and State-Wide Employment Nondiscrimination Ordinances to Protect LGBTQ Employees." The Journal of Business Diversity 15 (2) (12): 9-13. Full text available to subscribers External

Publication Date: January 7, 2016
The Graduate School of Business at Stanford University is now offering a leadership program to help LGBT business leaders advance their careers.