The Williams Institute

This study analyzes data from a 2010 survey on the employment experiences of 939 LGBT people living in Utah.  The study found that 44% of LGB people and 66% of transgender people in Utah have experienced employment discrimination.  The data showed that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity currently occurs in Utah, with close to 30% of LGB respondents and 45% of transgender respondents reporting that they experienced some form of workplace harassment on a weekly basis during the previous year. More than 26% of LGB respondents and 37% of transgender respondents fear discrimination by their current employer. Respondents’ qualitative responses indicated that LGBT Utahns have faced several forms of disparate treatment in the workplace because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, including being paid less for the same work, being asked to work longer hours, and being assigned less desirable shifts. These findings are consistent with other state-specific and national studies of sexual orientation and gender identity employment discrimination.