It's Pride Month. 3 Ways to Fight the LGBTQIA+ Wage Gap

While we've certainly made a lot of strides toward greater visibility and equality in American life, it's not exactly smooth sailing for the LGBTQIA+ community. Looking at money matters in particular, queer Americans are more likely to struggle with personal finances. For example, we face higher poverty rates than straight Americans, according to 2021 research from The Ascent. This is due in part to getting paid less for our labor.

The data is in -- and we earn less

An analysis by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) found that LGBTQIA+ workers earn an average of $0.90 per $1 earned by the typical worker -- and the difference in earnings for BIPOC, transgender, and nonbinary members of our community is even greater. The HRC notes that discrimination likely plays a big role here, and 36% of those surveyed reported experiencing it in the workplace.

If you're currently dealing with discrimination at work, it's worth looking up the laws for your area and seeing if you can take legal action. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a great resource for information about workplace nondiscrimination protections.

Earning less money for doing the same work could mean struggling to cover bills, get out of debt, or become a homeowner. The pay gap is one area where individuals can make a difference, however. Make the following moves to highlight and combat pay inequality and help create a more even playing field for every American.

1. Invest in yourself

One excellent way to help boost your earnings (and perhaps become a role model for others in the community) is to invest in yourself. To quote Warren Buffett, "The best investment by far is anything that develops yourself, and it's not taxed at all." This could mean furthering your education in your field via a certificate or degree program, or even just looking for ways to develop skills via online courses and learning opportunities.

And don't forget that if your current job situation isn't working for you, the job market is still tight and there are likely other companies (and perhaps other industries) that would welcome you and your talents with open arms. Now might be a great time to contemplate a job change -- or even a career change.

2. Talk about pay

Talking about financial matters is still a major taboo for people, but hewing to a culture of secrecy around money is doing no one any favors. And contrary to what your employer might have told you, you are most likely allowed (under federal law) to discuss salaries with your colleagues and share how much money lands in your checking account every payday. Most businesses in this country fall under the National Labor Relations Act, which protects your right to share salary information.

What good can discussing salaries at work do, though? I'm glad you asked! If you find out from a colleague that they make significantly more or less money than you do, for doing the same job and with the same sort of education and experience, you have ammunition to approach management about the inequality and see if it can be rectified. If there's a pattern of pay inequality that seems to be along racial, gender, or sexual orientation lines, you might even have a case for an employment lawyer.

3. Be out at work, if it's safe for you -- or be a vocal ally

It's a sad fact that in some places, LGBTQIA+ Americans aren't safe to be ourselves at work. If you're in a situation where you cannot be, my heart goes out to you. If you do work for an open and equitable employer, though, it's worth being open about who you are, including who you love. You might not think this will make a difference, but you could become a resource and perhaps even a mentor to others. You might have colleagues who are struggling with coming out and worrying about how it will impact their work lives, and knowing they have a ready support network and they aren't alone can really help.

This is also true even if you aren't part of the LGBTQIA+ rainbow but care about those who are. If you're in a management position at work and have a say over salaries and human resources matters, your support and advocacy are even more crucial.

Although we've come so far in the last few decades, the battle is clearly not over -- and sometimes it seems as if our standing is more tenuous than ever. If you can serve as an ally or mentor to others, openly discuss pay at work, and keep working to improve your own professional standing, you'll be helping to fight the LGBTQIA+ wage gap.