Gays and Lesbians are an Affluent Group
The stereotypes of gay and lesbian citizens as an affluent population
is promulgated by religious right political activists who oppose any legislation prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. The proponents of discrimination against gay and lesbian citizens have misused marketing surveys of gay magazine readers to spread the lie that gay people are members of an affluent elite.
These lies are used to divert attention from the real problem of discrimination and to oppose equal protection under the law. The truth is that sexual orientation does not correlate to income, education or any other class-related characteristic. Gay and lesbian citizens are found in every type of workplace and in every community.
An independent study by the University of Maryland at College Park found that the gay and lesbian population is economically and socially diverse -- and disadvantaged by unfair job discrimination. No federal law protects Americans from being fired, refused work, paid less or even harassed in the workplace because of their perceived sexual orientation. The study, "The Wage Effects of Sexual Orientation Discrimination" by M. V. Lee Badgett, was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 48, No. 4 (July 1995).
The University of Maryland at College Park study found that gay men and lesbians actually earn less than their non-gay counterparts with similar education, training and occupations. Gay men earned 11 to 27 percent less, while lesbians earned five to 14 percent less.
Opponents of equal civil rights protections for gay and lesbian citizens often cite marketing surveys of gay magazine readers to spread a stereotype of gay people as affluent. This data, compiled by the marketing firm Overlooked Opinions, Inc., was deliberately misrepresented in testimony before a U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee hearing on the Employment Non -Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA would prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
"This data is not of the gay community, it is for the readers of specific gay publications," said Jeffrey Vitale, president of Overlooked Opinions. "To compare these figures to the average individual income in the U.S. is ludicrous."
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