Today HRC Foundation, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) released a groundbreaking, new report underscoring the urgent need for inclusive employer-paid family and medical leave for LGBTQ working people of color.

The report, which reveals disproportionately high barriers for LGBTQ working people of color in accessing workplace leave policies compared to white LGBTQ working people, draws on responses to the HRC’s 2018 U.S. LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey -- the largest and most comprehensive survey ever of its kind. Its release coincides with International Workers’ Day, a commemoration of the essential role of working people and labor unions around the world.

“We know that access to inclusive paid leave is vital for all working people, and our groundbreaking research shows it is particularly crucial for LGBTQ people of color and our loved ones,” said Ashland Johnson, HRC Director of Public Education and Research. “LGBTQ people of color report more barriers, increased fears and less access to inclusive leave policies compared to white LGBTQ working people. These experiences reflect the troubling workplace disparities that arise at the intersection of race, gender identity and sexual orientation -- and the need to address these inequities as we pursue nationwide paid leave for all working people.”

The new HRC Foundation report reflects responses from 1,883 LGBTQ people of color from across the nation detailing their ability to access family and medical leave, experiences in the workplace and concerns about managing both their jobs and their wellbeing. Key findings include:

• 27 percent of respondents of color say they are afraid to request time off to care for a loved one because it might disclose their LGBTQ identity, compared to 16 percent of white respondents.
• Only 40 percent of respondents of color report that their employer has LGBTQ-inclusive leave policies, compared to 49 percent of white respondents.
• 44 percent of respondents of color say they are concerned about losing their job if they were to take leave, compared to 37 percent of white respondents. This includes 48 percent of Asian Pacific Islander respondents, the highest of any ethnoracial identity group.
• 53 percent of respondents of color agree with the statement, “I feel increased responsibility to care for certain loved ones due to their lack of support from their families/friends due to their LGBTQ identities,” compared to 44 percent of white respondents.
• Only 36 percent of respondents of color report that their employer offers paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child.

Read the report here, and check out other findings from the HRC’s 2018 U.S. LGBTQ Paid Leave Survey here.