The relationship between LGBT inclusion and economic development: Macro-level evidence

Task interdependence and the discrimination of gay men and lesbians in the workplace

“…At the country level, gay and lesbian discrimination also adversely impacts economic output and economic growth. Research across 39 countries has found a correlation between higher levels of LGBT inclusion and economic growth (Badgett, Nezhad, Waaldijk, & van der Meulen Rodgers, ). In Australia, it has been estimated that the financial benefits associated with encouraging closeted workers to come out could lead to as much as $285 million in savings per year nationally, including an increase of 11% in staff retention and 30% in the productivity of closeted workers (Johnson & Cooper, ).…”

‘Leave No One Behind’: Gender, Sexuality and the Sustainable Development Goals

“…This mechanism of discrimination, often reinforced by a dynamic interplay between state and social institutions, means that the benefits of essential development resourcessuch as education, housing, sanitation and health carefrequently do not reach same-sex attracted and gender non-conforming people. When measured in macroeconomic terms, the impact of discriminatory or insensitive laws and policies has been found to have a significant economic impact on the overall performance of the country's national outcomes (Bailey 2013;Badgett 2009;Badgett et al 2014).…”

“…Inclusive development practices have been achieved in part by civil society actions that challenge discriminatory laws and policies and that enable access to resources that flow from development policies and programmes (see Browne and Bakshi 2013;Lewis 2010). This has been accomplished by various means, including: harnessing opportunities wrought through political transition and attendant legal transformations (Louw 2005;Seidman 1999); strategic litigation (Andersen 2009;Keck 2009); macroeconomic modelling to show the impact of homophobia and transphobia (Badgett 2014); developing best practice models with the military (Eliason and Schope 2001), health practitioners (Muller 2013) and employers (Lester 2004;Badgett 2009).…”

Sexuality, Poverty and the Law: A Case Study Approach for Exploring Avenues of Change

“…A recent example of reframing is provided by studies on emerging economies that have sought to promote a macroeconomic rationale for change to discriminatory national laws and policies (Badgett, Durso and Schneebaum 2013). The World Bank's 2014 study on the economic costs of homophobia is a prime example.…”

“…Despite a growing body of qualitative and quantitative research, there is currently only limited, development-relevant evidence about the relationships between sexuality, poverty and law (Badgett et al 2014;Waldman and Overs 2014a;Overs 2015). It is known, however, that these relationships are complex: while it is possible to show a correlation between hunger reduction and nutrition, for example, it is less straightforward to show a correlation between, for example, social and political recognition of sexual rights and the reduction of poverty among these marginalised groups.…”