The Economic Case for LGBT Equality

February 3, 2020
Badgett, a professor of economics at UMass Amherst, contends in her sober and well-documented debut that discrimination against LGBTQ people “means limiting the skills, knowledge, and abilities that are available to improve economies and societies.” She details the unfair treatment of “sexual and gender minorities” in the realms of education, business, and healthcare, and presents evidence suggesting that when companies enact “LGBTQ-inclusive policies”—whether voluntarily or to comply with state or federal laws—employee innovation, productivity, and retention improve, as do bottom-line measures such as stock performance. Citing research she conducted for the World Bank, Badgett notes that homophobia and transphobia cost India as much as 1% of its gross domestic product. She offers data to prove that corporate advocacy drives both queer entrepreneurial success and broader social change, and that LGBTQ-friendly multinational corporations push local competitors to enact nondiscriminatory policies. Badgett’s logical arguments and copious evidence will resonate with business leaders and policy makers, and human rights activists will appreciate her good-faith efforts to reassure them that the economic and moral arguments for reform are complementary. This cogent account makes a persuasive case that everyone benefits from LGBTQ equality.

April 1, 2020

How does being LGBT affect economic well-being? For three decades, economist Badgett (Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst) has studied this topic. As a result, Badgett presents the economic case for ending the stigma and discrimination against LGBT people. Excluding LGBT people from participating in a country's workforce through discrimination and violence not only affects the individual, but can generate a meaningful drop in income and jobs for a nation's people. While acknowledging discrimination is primarily a human rights issue, Badgett argues that economics and human rights are intertwined. Furthermore, an economic study can aid human rights activists by offering more information and tools for promoting fairness and equality. Badgett begins by demonstrating how LGBT people are currently treated differently in important economic contexts (education, employment, and health), then moves on to examine how economic arguments have made a difference in parts of the world; finally, the author builds a case that discrimination has a literal cost attached to it by estimating the overall losses to countries' economies from exclusion and discrimination. The book concludes with ideas for actions moving forward. VERDICT An essential addition to the field of economic studies that is especially vital for academic libraries.--Laurel Tacoma, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2020
A treatise on how restricting LGBT rights negatively impacts global economies. In the latest entry in the publisher's Queer Action/Queer Ideas series, economics professor Badgett presents a persuasive case for LGBT rights within financial arenas and how those promote broader liberties. Drawing from a wealth of research studies, the author scrutinizes the tangible losses from unfair discriminatory practices. Her argument centers around the conviction that LGBT inclusion and unilateral equality are critical to the long-term prosperity of businesses and the economy. While LGBT discrimination erodes community morale incrementally over time, the same is true "from an economic perspective"--eventually, "it adds up." Examining education, employment, and health care, for example, Badgett clearly outlines the tremendous humanitarian benefits of workplace equality, anti-bullying school regulations, and other initiatives that pave the way to greater economic growth, improved employee retention and productivity, diversified workforces, and a healthier populace. She describes how these ideas are already gaining momentum around the world, with global brands proudly aligning with their LGBT employees with respect to fairness practices and tolerance regulations. The author is at her analytical best in her discussions of the toll inequality takes on commerce. She shows how exclusionary practices rob businesses of vital personnel and damage reputations, citing World Bank studies, interviews, and personal anecdotes from local sources alongside countries like Canada, India, South Africa, and the Philippines. In the final chapter, Badgett offers logical action items for business leaders and prospective activists as well as for readers already involved in social reform advocacy. Though the opinions and language of economists and human rights advocates may differ, the base-line goals are inclusion and equality for the LGBT community. The author's concise, sound arguments demonstrate why it is necessary to "expand freedom and equality" across the globe. Both a convincing discussion and a call to reformative action for LGBT equality across economic sectors of the world.

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April 1, 2020
Most of us, economist Badgett writes, are not used to thinking about LGBT rights in the context of business and the economy. Yet in every country that's been studied, there is evidence of significant discrimination against queer people in the workplace. International in scope, Badgett's book puts a human face on the statistics and, in so doing, includes many stories of people who share what homophobia has cost them and, more broadly, the economy. The author then turns the spotlight on LGBT people, arguing that economic equality for them is economic equality for all. This comprehensive book stresses how LGBT people are treated differently from non-LGBT people in economic contexts, noting the overall losses to countries' economies that result from excluding LGBT people. She closes on a positive note, suggesting a future where economic equality will exist for all. Hers is a well-researched and -argued book that examines an often-ignored aspect of LGBT rights and, so, is a valuable addition to the literature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)