Heterosexism in the workplace - Do race and gender matter?

This article examined the effects of multiple group memberships and relational demography on the workplace experiences of 534 gay employees, 162 of whom were gay employees of color. Two competing models of multiple group membership were tested by assessing the effects of race and gender on sexual orientation discrimination and the decision to disclose a gay identity at work. Race and gender were unrelated to heterosexism. Lesbians were as likely to disclose as gay men, but gay employees of color were less likely to disclose at work. Relational demography predictions were supported for race and sexual orientation but not for gender, suggesting that gender similarity predictions may not apply to gay employees. More heterosexism was reported with male supervisors or work teams, and these effects were stronger for lesbians than gay men. Irrespective of race, employees in racially balanced teams reported less heterosexism than those in primarily White or non-White teams.