Sexuality, Work, and Social Exclusion

Sexuality, Work, and Social Exclusion Name Institution Sexuality, Work, and Social Exclusion Abstract Despite increased efforts by the liberation movement to create awareness and protect LGBTQ rights, many LGBTQ individuals continue to experience widespread social exclusion which affects both their social and work life. This paper examines existing literature on social exclusion and discrimination of the LGBTQ community at work and in their communities and highlights some of the consequences of social exclusion. They include poor mental health, social disconnect, low work productivity, and loss of employment. The literature review reveals that protection of LGBTQ rights is more complex in developing countries and some recommendations are provided to help address the issues faced by the LGBTQ community. Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc4594711 \h 4Background PAGEREF _Toc4594712 \h 5Objective PAGEREF _Toc4594713 \h 6Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc4594714 \h 7Analysis and Discussion PAGEREF _Toc4594715 \h 10Sexuality and Social Life PAGEREF _Toc4594716 \h 10Sexuality and Work Life PAGEREF _Toc4594717 \h 11Summary and Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc4594718 \h 13References PAGEREF _Toc4594719 \h 15 Introduction The LGBTQ community experiences challenges ranging from health issues to social connections due to their sexuality and gender identity. Despite the progress being made in the fight for LGBTQ rights, many people still fear coming out about their sexuality because the reality is that society has not fully accepted LGBTQ individuals. In fact, this rejection or fear of rejection has driven many LGBTQ people into self-harm and suicide because in most cases, these individuals struggle with keeping their identity a secret from their loved ones and the society as a whole (McDermott, Hughes, & Rawlings, 2017). The situation is even worse in developing countries where LGBTQ are viewed as a disgrace to their families and communities. The individuals in these countries are forced to hide their sexuality and gender identity so as to avoid a confrontation with society and lawmakers. As noted by Luiz and Spicer (2019), being a member of the LGBTQ community in some developing countries is termed as socially unacceptable and immoral, while in some cases, it is viewed as illegal, prompting punishment by law. As such, the LGBTQ community is still experiencing discrimination and while some of the prejudices are socially constructed, they have even informed the law that governs and protect the rights of citizens in different parts of the world. The type of discrimination experienced by the LGBTQ community has affected the core part of their lives, especially in terms of employment and social inclusion within the society. The level of intolerance towards LGBTQ individuals affect which social events or gatherings these individuals can attend and far more, the type of organizations they can work for when their sexuality is well known. A background and a literature review on the issue of LGBTQ social and work exclusion is provided as follows. Background Social exclusion is a term that has been used to refer to discrimination against certain members of society (Doan, 2015). This discrimination is informed either by law o...