Discrimination and Sexual Harassment against LGBTQ+ Musicians
LGBTQ+ musicians face high levels of discrimination and experience intersecting barriers across gender, race, age and sexuality: Almost a quarter of LGBTQ+ musicians reported discrimination as a barrier. Over a third (37%) have experienced or witnessed discrimination based on sexuality whilst working as a musician, yet only 27% reported it. Worryingly over half of trans respondents reported experiencing discrimination based on their gender identity. The discrimination LGBTQ+ musicians experience is often intersectional and goes unreported, and this has a direct impact on their mental wellbeing.
Sexual harassment disproportionately impacts LGBTQ+ musicians: Nearly a third (32%) of LGBTQ+ respondents have witnessed sexual harassment, meaning that almost half of all LGBTQ+ respondents (44%) have either witnessed or experienced sexual harassment. Two thirds of this collective group said it has impacted their ability to work or their career progression, but only a third of them reported it.
Trans musicians are particularly impacted by sexual harassment: Almost a quarter (24%) of trans respondents have been sexually harassed while 41% have witnessed it and only 14% reported it, yet more than three quarters said it impacted their ability to work or their career progression.