Sexual Identity Issues in the Workplace: Past and Present

Abstract

The rapidly developing research looking at gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues in the workplace is reviewed. Research addressing these issues first appeared in the early 1970s and was relatively dormant for several years as researchers focused their attention on the more immediate and compelling concerns of AIDS. In the past few years, hoever, the number of articles and studies on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender workplace issues has increased greatly as researchers and social service providers have ackwnowledged this critical aspect of live-employment-and associated issues. The purpose of this article is to chronicle the development of research in this area, the specific concerns that have been adressed, where the research leaves us as we prepare to increase our understanding of these issues, and how they affect the emotional and psychological well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.