When Gay Men and Lesbian Women Disclose their Sexual Orientation Influences Salary

Abstract

This paper examines the social cognitive process of how timing of disclosure affects the salary of gay and lesbian employees through stereotype activation. In Study 1, we examine the perspective of the discloser by surveying 140 gay and lesbian employees from a variety of professions. In Study 2, we examine the perspective of the recipient by conducting a lab study manipulating timing of disclosure and gender to establish the casual mechanism between disclosure timing and salary through priming for negative attitudes toward gay and lesbian individuals. Results supported our proposed moderated mediation model: the indirect effect of timing of disclosure on gay men and lesbians’ salaries are transmitted through negative attitudes toward non-heterosexual individuals, with significantly different indirect effects for male vs. female disclosers. Specifically, earlier disclosures of sexual minority identities primed more negative attitudes and ultimately had more negative implications for men’s salaries than for women’s salaries. These findings suggest that the activation of minority sexual orientation and gender stereotypes interact to produce differing attitudinal and behavioral outcomes, thereby offering unique insights into earnings discrepancies among men and women of different sexual orientations.