MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT GAY WORKERS

In a recent poll, the American workplace is increasingly supportive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender workers, finding that a majority support marriage-like benefits. This is great news. Glad to see educated people are supportive of gay's rights..

The 2008 Out & Equal Workplace Survey conducted online by polling group Harris Interactive in conjunction with Out & Equal, a group dedicated to ending gay & lesbian discrimination in the workplace, and Witeck-Combs Communications finds that a majority of workers agree that performance, not sexual orientation or gender identity, should be the basis on which to judge GLBT people and most support marriage-like benefits for gays couples.

“It's encouraging that heterosexuals appear more and more committed to ending these forms of employment discrimination and to extending equal benefits to all employees,” said Out & Equal Executive Director Selisse Berry in a prepared statement.

The survey found that nearly eight out of ten (79%) heterosexual adults strongly or somewhat agree that how an employee does his or her job should be the standard for judging an employee, not their sexual orientation. And, seven out ten (71%) believe that also extends to gender identity.

Even with benefits, the workplace is becoming more lenient:

Three-quarters (75%) of heterosexuals surveyed agreed gay and lesbian employees should receive leave when they lose a spouse/partner or close family member. More than two-thirds (68%) agreed gays and lesbians should receive leave rights for medical and family emergencies. And, a majority (64%) of heterosexuals feel that gay and lesbian employees should receive untaxed health benefits under federal law. [SOURCE]

Although this is good news, the article does state that gays continue to report workplace discrimination. A majority of gay adults (65%) report they faced some sort of discrimination. Nearly half (47%) of gays and lesbians say they have overheard anti-gay comments on the job. And, more than one-third (36%) of gay adults claim they remain closeted at work.

Not Cool..