Human Rights Campaign Inc.

04/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/09/2024 14:19

New Data Indicates LGBTQ+ Community Backlash Against Companies Backing Down from Diversity, Inclusion Commitments

WASHINGTON - New data from the HRC Foundation's 2024 LGBTQ+ Climate Survey shows that LGBTQ+ workers and consumers prioritize how companies show up for them when deciding where to work and where to spend their money. With close to 30% of Gen Z adults identifying as LGBTQ+ and the community holding $1.4 trillion in spending power, retreating hastily from diversity, equity and inclusion is detrimental to any company's bottom line and employee retention.

The 2024 LGBTQ+ Climate Survey was conducted online between August 8 and 18, 2024, in partnership with Community Marketing & Insights, Inc, an LGBTQ+ owned survey firm. A total of 2,432 LGBTQ-identified adults (age 18+) participated in the survey and were eligible for analysis; all results are survey-weighted to approximate the U.S. LGBTQ+ adult population.

Statement from Orlando Gonzales, Senior Vice President, Programs, Research, and Training, Human Rights Campaign Foundation:

"The LGBTQ+ community is an economic powerhouse, and we want to work for and support companies who support us. Attacks on DEI initiatives are shortsighted and make our workplaces less safe and less inclusive for hard-working Americans of all demographics and backgrounds. This new data confirms that companies like Molson Coors, Ford, and others that abandon their values and backtrack from commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion risk losing both top employee talent and consumer dollars."

Highlights from the survey include:

  • 8 in 10 (80.1%) LGBTQ+ adults would boycott a company that rolled back DEI initiatives, including stopping shopping at, utilizing, and/or purchasing its services.

  • More than three-quarters (75.7%) of LGBTQ+ adults state that if a company rolled back DEI initiatives, they would have a less favorable opinion of that company.

  • Over half (52.5%) would urge others to boycott the company, including posting negative company reviews and sharing their concerns on social media.

  • If LGBTQ+ adults worked at a company that rolled back DEI

    • One-fifth (19.6%) would quit or start looking for a new job

    • Three-quarters (72.4%) would feel less included/accepted at work

    • One-third (33.6%) felt their productivity would suffer

According to the survey, LGBTQ+ adults are also tracking how companies show up to support the LGBTQ+ community:

  • 93.5% of LGBTQ+ adults state that a company scoring 100% on the HRC Foundation's CEI indicates some level of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

    • Over half (50.2%) state that scoring 100% would indicate strong support for the community.

  • Over 93% stated that if a company donates money to LGBTQ+ non-profits, that would indicate some level of support for the community.

  • Almost 9 in 10 (87.7%) stated that if a company sponsors a Pride parade, that would demonstrate some level of support.

  • Separate research from GLAAD indicates that Americans are two times more likely to buy and use brands that support LGBTQ+ rights; and 71% of LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. are more likely to buy products from companies that purposefully reach out to the LGBTQ+ community.

    • Similarly, 2023 research from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) found that 86% of respondents "think more positively about companies that sponsor LGBTQ+ non-profits," and two-thirds (68%) are more likely to purchase from companies that "actively markets to or includes" the LGBTQ+ community.

This new data is in line with Washington Post-Ipsos polling from April 2024 that found that 7 in 10 (69%) Americans think it is a good thing when companies adopt corporate DEI programs; over half (54%) think LGBTQ+ employees benefit from DEI programs. According to new data from the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, 60% of people say an inclusive work culture with a well-supported diversity program is critical to attracting and retaining them as employees.

  • Over the past few years, people in the U.S. feel more positive about DEI than they used to - over two times more likely to say their view of DEI has improved (2024 Edelman Trust Barometer).

  • Across political lines, people also say that DEI initiatives foster increased belonging and community in the workplace - they feel they fit in because of these initiatives (2024 Edelman Trust Barometer).

  • And, 76% of people in the U.S. agree that organizations with diverse workforces better connect with the public (2024 Edelman Trust Barometer).