It’s more important than ever for communications leaders and their teams to stay on top of shifting conversations around LGBTQ+ rights. What’s being talked about in the media and on social platforms changes fast, and three areas are picking up steam as we head through the US election and into the holiday season:
- International LGBTQ+ Rights
- Workplace Inclusion & Rights
- Violence & Discrimination
As we saw in a previous post, Transgender & Non-Binary Issues dominate coverage and commentary – and have for the last year – but the level remains relatively static. Workplace Inclusion & Rights, however, grows in terms of volume by over 50% from September to October, with International LGBTQ+ Rights and Violence & Discrimination both seeing increases of 17%.
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Let’s explore what’s behind these increases.
Workplace Inclusion & Rights
One of the most notable increases is in discussion around Workplace Inclusion & Rights for the LGBTQ+ community, growing by 51% from late summer into the fall. What’s driving this growth?
- Large corporations have recently faced activist pressure around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and rollbacks by major companies like Harley-Davidson, Ford and Toyota have driven mainstream news coverage and consumer commentary on social media.
- In the public sector, there was a lot of discussion – some heated – about the FBI and Secret Service’s planned visit to the 2024 Out & Equal Workplace Summit at Disney World in Florida in early October. The trip was eventually canceled due to Hurricane Milton.
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Violence & Discrimination
The topic of Violence & Discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community is also gaining momentum, with coverage increasing by 17%. What’s causing this?
- In late September, the FBI released the latest Hate Crime Statistics. This report highlighted several key points. First, hate crimes motivated by gender identity and sexual orientation increased from 2022 to 2023. Second, the FBI counted almost 3,000 incidents related to sexual orientation and gender-identity bias in 2023, an increase of 8.6% over 2022. Finally, sexual orientation and gender identity were the third and fourth most prevalent bias motivations for hate crimes in 2023, following race/ethnicity and religion. These increases were condemned by prominent LGBTQ+ advocates, including Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, Sarah Kate Ellis, the President & CEO of GLAAD, and Brian K. Bond, CEO of PFLAG.
- National Coming Out Day was celebrated on October 11, and Spirit Day – a day to promote awareness of anti-LGBTQ+ bullying – took place on October 17.
- The issue of gender-affirming care for prison inmates became a key point in election discussion, driven by Trump campaign advertising claiming that Vice-President Harris “wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison.” (Note: it is required by federal law that inmates receive access to necessary medical care – which can include gender-affirming surgery.)
- Finally, there was press coverage of the Netflix documentary Will & Harper, following Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, a transgender woman, traveling across the country and exploring Steele’s gender transition. Social commentary picked up on Ferrell’s statements in interviews, including “[i]f the trans community is a threat to you, I think it stems from not being confident or safe with yourself.”
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International LGBTQ+ Rights
Mentions of international LGBTQ+ rights also grew by 17%, driven by both legal developments and global advocacy efforts. What’s behind this?
As several US states impose restrictions on gender-affirming care, people are continuing to travel across state and national borders to access necessary treatments, creating a wave of what some are calling “healthcare refugees.” Canada has emerged as a refuge for US citizens seeking care (as has Minnesota, domestically).
On October 4 the European Court of Justice ruled that all European Union member states must recognize legal changes to a person’s gender identity and name made in other EU countries; discussion of this ruling focuses on the broader movement within the EU toward reinforcing and standardizing LGBTQ+ rights.
Next Steps
Contact us today for your free MAPS Snapshot, quantifying how you are perceived in comparison to your competition on LGBTQ+ Rights.