Marginalized Folks & Wage Gaps

What can you do?

1.Be anti-racist and engage in dismantling white supremacy. If you’re not Black, this is your work. Visit this link for specific actions.

2.Be an ally to LBTQ+ folks. Visit this link for extensive resources on how to be an ally.

3.Reject toxic masculinity. Allow men their emotions. Teach your sons. Make space for your husbands and boyfriends.

4.VOTE FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL PROTECT THE MARGINALIZED. Visit this link to register.

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 to celebrate the contributions and achievements of American workers. So a few reminders about labor in the US–

Wage gaps are extreme:

***LGBTQ+ folks also face serious discrimination in the workplace, especially trans folks and trans women of color, but because many studies are not inclusive of trans folks, we do not yet have the data on compared earnings.***

Queer folks and the workplace–

1. Trans women report earning nearly one third less after their transitions whereas trans men report an increasing in their earnings. [6]
2. 90% of trans people report workplace discrimination. [6]
3. 26% of trans people report losing work due to gender identity or expression. [6]
4. Gay and bisexual men earn 10-32% less than their straight counterparts. [7][9]
5. LGBT women of color face higher rates of workplace discrimination. [8]

Black women and the workplace–

1. Black women lose nearly 1 million dollars ($946,120) over a 40-year career due to the wage gap. [3]
2. 37 women run Fortune 500 companies (which is a record percentage…of just 7%) and NONE of them are Black. [5]

Sources

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/04/02/the-equal-pay-day-factoid-that-women-make-78-cents-for-every-dollar-earned-by-men/

[2] https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/compensation/pages/racial-wage-gaps-persistence-poses-challenge.aspx (PDF)

[3] https://nwlc.org/press-releases/the-wage-gap-costs-black-women-a-staggering-946120-over-a-40-year-career-nwlc-new-analysis-shows/

[4] https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/fair-pay/quantifying-americas-gender-wage-gap.pdf

[5] https://bossbetty.com/culture/by-the-numbers-the-burden-carried-by-black-women-workers/

[6] https://www.lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/article/trans-workplace

[7] https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbtq-rights/news/2012/04/16/11494/the-gay-and-transgender-wage-gap/

[8] https://www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value/feature/pride-month-12-key-numbers-highlighting-economic-status-challenges-lgbtq-ncna1231820

[9] https://www.diversityjobs.com/2020/03/race-gender-lgbtq-wage-gaps/

[10] https://www.epi.org/publication/black-workers-covid/

[11] https://www.epi.org/publication/black-workers-covid/