‘A double life’: Quarter of LGBT+ young people hide their sexuality at work

A quarter of young LGBT+ adults hide their sexuality at work, according to a new study.

Research, by Just Like Us, a charity which supports LGBT+ young people, found that gay men were the most likely to conceal their sexuality at work, with some 31 per cent admitting to doing so.

Researchers, who polled 3,695 young people aged between 18 and 25, also found that young LGBT+ adults earned less than their straight peers.

Some 24 per cent earned less than £19,999 a year, compared to 16 per cent of straight workers in the same age group. Lesbians were hardest hit by low earnings with a third of those polled making £19,999 or less.

Meanwhile, straight women were almost twice as likely to earn less than that figure compared to their straight male counterparts - with 20 per cent earning this amount, in comparison to 12 per cent of straight men.

Sam Harvey told The Independent he went back into the closet when he started working for the probation service, saying he felt like he was living a “double life”.

The 25-year-old added: “At uni, you are open to express who you are. In the world of work, you don’t know the environment you are getting into, you don’t know what your colleagues are like. I stopped dying my hair, I was careful about how I talked.

“My roommate had a joke that I had a straight voice in Zoom meetings. There were a few off-hand homophobic comments. If I had been less in the closet, I wondered would it have been worse.

“You are leading a double life - you can’t be who you truly are. I referred to my boyfriend as my partner. I stopped enjoying being there. I was putting on my work mask.”

Mr Harvey said the ordeal damaged his mental health and he struggled to sleep – adding he would experience physical symptoms of stress, with his allergies flaring up.

Mr Harvey said hiding who he was prevented him from properly connecting with colleagues. He left his job in the probation service in February and now works for leading LGBT+ rights charity Stonewall.

“Now I am more in touch with work colleagues,” Mr Harvey explained. “I feel like I am not hiding who I am”.

The new research found one in five LGBT+ young adults had endured bullying at work, in comparison to 14 per cent of non-LGBT+ young adults. And researchers discovered transgender young adults were the least likely to be employed within the community, with some 56 per cent saying they didn’t have a job.

Amy Ashenden, the acting chief executive of Just Like Us, said: “It is extremely concerning that LGBT+ young adults face so many challenges in the workplace that, in 2023, a quarter go back into the closet when starting a job.

“Our research shows young women suffer from lower salaries and a potential gender pay gap very early on in their careers, but LGBT+ women and trans people are hit even harder.

“These high levels of workplace bullying and what appears to be a LGBT+ pay gap among the youngest in our workforces should be a real cause for concern. Workplaces must do more on LGBT+ inclusion, and LGBT+ young people are eager for their support.”

Ms Ashenden noted the research discovered “there are ways” workplaces can “tackle these issues” – such as via their charity’s Ambassador Programme which connects young LGBT+ adults with mentors.