American gay and lesbian student leaders’ perceptions of job discrimination

Abstract

PurposeThis research explores the extent to which expectations of discrimination affect American undergraduate officers in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) groups.Design/methodology/approachUsing structured interviewing, I conducted both phone and face‐to‐face interviews without gay and lesbian student officers in GLBT student organizations on campuses all across the USA. I specifically wished to discover their expectations relating to discrimination and information about their job seeking behaviors through analysis of the participants’ detailed oral descriptions of their viewpoints and experiences.FindingsOverall, the data reveal that when students search for professional positions they often expect discrimination, but many will not let that fear force them back into the closet. It is interesting to note that while some students fear discrimination and hide their sexual orientation and leadership activities in GLBT groups on their résumés, many state that they will be out at work and risk discrimination in the long run because being true to themselves is worth the risk.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study relates to data collection and the resultant small sample. Additionally, this study is limited to the exploration of the conditions in the US labor market and perception of American students.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study help us to understand the choices facing gay and lesbian students as they make hard decisions about how much to reveal about themselves in their search for employment.Originality/valueFor gay and lesbian job candidates there can be severe penalties for disclosing their orientation; therefore, decisions whether and how to identify one's self on a résumé and during interviews are extremely important.