Pride celebrations drop as LGBTQIA+ hostility grow
LGBTQIA+ employees are experiencing a more hostile work environment following the 2024 US elections, say business leaders, who predict that discrimination against these employees will get much worse.
This is according to the latest poll from Resume Templates, which surveyed 1,000 US business leaders to determine the impact of the current political climate on LGBTQIA+ employees.
The majority of business leaders (64%) said respect for LGBTQIA+ employees remained the same, but 15% said respect for these employees had declined.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of business leaders also noticed an uptick in anti-LGBTQIA+ comments or sentiments at work, with 22% noticing that employees are less likely to face consequences for expressing these views.
The emerging trend is unlikely to stop soon, as 50% of business leaders believe that hiring discrimination against LGBTQIA+ employees will become more common this year.
In fact, 51% believe that it will become common in the next year.
Julia Toothacre, chief career strategist at Resume Templates, attributed the situation to the loss of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies under the Trump administration.
"One of the most significant impacts of the Trump administration on LGBTQIA+ workers has been the rollback of DEI initiatives," Toothacre said in a statement.
Under the Trump administration, 25% of the polled business leaders said they scaled back DEI efforts.
Among them, more than half said there is now less focus on hiring LGBTQIA+ workers (59%) and creating an inclusive environment for these employees (59%).
Toothacre said DEI initiatives encouraged greater self-awareness around bias in the workplace.
"Without them, workplaces become less equipped to support inclusivity. While the LGBTQIA+ community has made major strides in education and advocacy, bias and hostility still exist. Without organisational support, those challenges only increase," she said.
With the cuts to DEI initiatives, the report found that fewer employers are planning to celebrate Pride Month this June.
Resume Templates' poll found that only 35% plan to celebrate Pride, down from the 40% that recognised it a year ago.
"Pride celebrations also often fall under DEI budgets, which have been cut in many organisations over the last year," Toothacre said.
According to the expert, some organisations may be opting out of Pride celebrations "not necessarily out of opposition."
"But because it's not a business priority or they want to avoid appearing to favour one group over another," she said. "In today's polarised climate, some companies are likely opting out altogether to avoid controversy."
The findings come despite a record-high 1,449 participants joining the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI).
The CEI is the leading benchmarking survey and report measuring company policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality in the United States.
The number of participants this year was nearly five per cent higher than the previous year, with 72 companies joining the CEI for the first time.
"At times, progress meets backlash, but companies continue to dedicate the time and resources to reinforcing workplace inclusion," said HRC President Kelley Robinson in a statement. "As a result, they are more competitive and more creative while attracting and retaining top talent and widening their consumer base."
