Though attempts have been made to close wage gaps in the United States, they are still prominent today.
Today, I would like to highlight the gay wage gap. The average LGBTQ+ worker earns about 10 percent less than the average worker.
In particular, I would like to highlight the lower wages given to nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and two-spirit workers, who earn only 70 cents for each dollar the typical worker earns. Resumes that include they/them pronouns are less likely to be given an interview than identical resumes without pronouns.
As a University of Vermont student, I have seen many of my gender nonconforming peers passed up for job opportunities they are qualified for, and I cannot help but wonder if their gender identity was a defining obstacle in their employment. This bias has been shown to exist even in more liberal regions such as Vermont.
I do not believe that a majority of this discrimination is intentional; however, I believe it presents us with an opportunity to examine our own biases, and to examine potential applicants without taking their gender identity into account.
Michael O’Leary
Burlington
