Gender Identity Is Under Threat: How To Advocate for the LGBTQ+ Community

Originally published on bloomberg.com

Gender identity should be celebrated, not challenged.

Imagine a world where your identity subjected you to frequent discrimination and violence, and, should your mental health suffer because of either, your access to care is limited.

Despite progress over the years, these scenarios are still common occurrences for LGBTQ+ individuals across the globe. If recent news reports aren’t any indication, the data and stories we’ve collected are.

As gender identity continues to be challenged worldwide, we’re stepping up our support at Bloomberg to stand with LGBTQ+ communities, and we invite you to join us – not only during Pride Month, but every day by activating allyship.

Take the first step by educating yourself on gender identity and how LGBTQ+ identities are under threat as you start your journey to be a better ally and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. The learning never ends.

Because everyone should have equal access to thrive – regardless of gender identity.

What is gender identity?

GLAAD defines gender identity as “one’s internal sense of self and their gender, whether that is man, woman, neither or both.” Gender identity and gender expression (how one presents their gender outwardly) are fundamental aspects of human identity and can take many different forms.

(For a comprehensive guide to gender identity, see here.)

A global look at what comes with owning your gender identity

Since the Stonewall Uprising, we’ve seen a lot of progress for LGBTQ+ rights. However, we’ve also seen regression, especially in the last year. To authentically support the global LGBTQ+ community, there must be an understanding of what they’re experiencing.

Discrimination

Discrimination is all too common for LGBTQ+ individuals. Plus, in many countries – including the U.S. – the reports of discrimination rise among LGBTQ+ people of color.

• More than one in three trans people (34%) reported being discriminated against due to their gender identity when visiting a café, restaurant, bar, or nightclub in the last year. (EMEA)
• The ACLU issued a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans following 75+ state-level anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law in 2023. (The Americas)
• Japan approved a bill on ‘promoting understanding’ of the LGBTQ+ community, but critics of the bill condemn the watered-down version that passed. (APAC)
• Half of LGBTQ+ workers report experiencing workplace discrimination or harassment over the last year because of their gender identity. (The Americas)

Violence

LGBTQ+ communities have seen an uptick in violence against the backdrop of charged anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. 

• LGBTQ+ individuals are 9x more likely than non-LGBTQ+ individuals to be victims of violent hate crimes. (The Americas)
• 40% of LGBTQ+ individuals have experienced gender-based violence (APAC)
• An overwhelming majority of transgender individuals in the UK (88%) did not report hate crimes, despite being the most targeted group. (EMEA)

Mental health

Around the world, LGBTQ+ individuals have an increased risk in mental health challenges due to stigma-based discrimination, according to an NIH study of 13 countries. Unfortunately, even access to mental healthcare also comes with added barriers for LGBTQ+ individuals.

• 56% of LGBTQ+ young people (ages 13 to 24) who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it. (The Americas)
• Over one in eight LGBTQ+ people have experienced unequal treatment from healthcare staff because of their gender identity. (EMEA)
• Gender and sexuality in mental health: perspectives on lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) rights and mental health in the ASEAN region (APAC)

With gender identity rights under threat worldwide, what can you do to help?

Activate allyship

Support the LGBTQ+ community by being an authentic ally.

What is allyship? Allyship is a way to encourage inclusivity in the places we all live and work. While an ally isn’t necessarily a member of an underrepresented group, they take positive action to support diverse groups.

This Pride Month, celebrate progress for LGBTQ+ rights and continue to advocate for progress so individuals worldwide feel empowered – and safe – in their gender identity.

10 ways to practice allyship

1. Be an activist: Advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in legislation and policy.
2. Avoid making assumptions about one’s gender identity or asking intrusive questions.
3. Stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ by centering their voices in and out of the workplace.
4. Expand your reading list to better understand and empathize with LGBTQ+ experiences.
5. Learn and use inclusive language, including terms related to gender – and include pronouns in your email signatures, social media profiles, and virtual events profiles.
6. Invest in supporting transgender, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary communities that address basic needs such as poverty, unemployment, and health care.
7. A large percentage of the LGBTQ+ community has experienced homelessness. Prioritize supporting organizations that enable access to safe and affordable housing.
8. Hold yourself accountable for mistakes like forgetting one’s pronouns, chosen name, or gender identity.
9. Stay committed and ask yourself and others “what are my next steps” and “how will I keep myself on track” so your allyship is active and avoids being performative.
10. Have humility by accepting that, even as you continue to listen and understand, you may make mistakes.

Bloomberg’s commitment to allyship

At Bloomberg, we’re committed to affirming LGBTQ+ identity and tackling issues these communities face so our employees feel safe, know they’re valued, and are empowered to shape our culture of inclusion.

We hold ourselves accountable for being part of the solution through action and open dialogue. Bloomberg is among the more than 75 large U.S. companies that signed on to the Count Us In Pledge to stand proudly and publicly as LGBTQ+ allies, while calling on lawmakers to end all discriminatory attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. Some steps we’ve taken at Bloomberg include hosting global LGBTQ+ programming focused on inequality, advocacy, and intersectionality year-round. We also provide access to our enhanced allyship training program, which consists of an internal transgender allyship module (developed in partnership with the Bloomberg LGBT and Ally Community). We also made it easy for employees to add their pronouns to their profiles on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Furthermore, to complement our unwavering commitment to inclusion, our employees have access to world-class benefits, including gender-neutral parental leave, an inclusive definition of “dependents,” and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) focused on mental health and wellness that provides access to confidential counseling and specialized resources.

At Bloomberg, we believe that dialogue leads to understanding – and understanding can lead to change in our workplaces and beyond.

To continue the conversation with us, discover more about Bloomberg’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion and allyship.