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Fellows examine the cost of discrimination and the value of economic arguments when advocating for LGBT rights
What is the cost of discrimination? Can we measure this? If so, how can we best use this information to advance LGBT rights? Thus were the questions facing the international cohort of Fellows on the second day of the Global LGBT* Forum, Strengthening Communities: LGBT Rights & Social Cohesion.
Opening the panel, US economist M.V. Lee Badgett explained the thinking behind her World Bank-backed study of the cost of LGBT discrimination in India. This study was an opportunity to ask: what are the costs of homo- and transphobia? Cost was defined as harm to individuals and the larger economy.
The greatest costs can be found in the workplace, with LGBT people leaving employment following harassment, facing underemployment or being excluded from the workplace entirely because of discrimination, and thus not contributing to the economy.
Costs can also be found in education and health too. Education becomes harder because of bullying; access to healthcare is more difficult because of stigma – both situations limit economic opportunities.
Studies in Japan found that 48% of LGBT people felt discriminated against in the workplace, with 51% stating that they changed jobs as a consequence. Enforced gender-binary uniforms in high schools across the country leads to many trans students dropping out of school early, hindering future employment opportunities.
More open and inclusive countries have more successful economies. This “macro” economic-led argument, another panelist argued, can be effective when speaking with governments which would otherwise be hostile to the expansion of LGBT rights, using a human rights-based argument alone.
Having more rights leads to having a greater opportunity to live, study and work freely and ultimately have greater capacity to contribute to the economy and society. However, it is not only laws that need to change to enable this, but also societal attitudes. “Discrimination and violence starts within the family and communities,” pointed out one Fellow.
But should we be using this economic, utilitarian argument to advance LGBT rights? Does it not suggest that in order have rights you need to be able to contribute to the economy and society, creating a hierarchy of rights? “It is immoral to quantify the cost of our suffering... People should have rights because they are born with them – not because it is less costly to society for them to have them,” argued one Fellow.
Certainly, dignity shouldn’t be based on “usefulness” to economy, commerce, society, families, but activists do need to tailor argument to different audiences.
“We should have the principles,” argued a Fellow, “but we mustn’t lose pragmatism.”
Whether a human rights-based or economic argument is used, or a combination of both [see Fellows’ opinions on back page], one thing remains the same: data can be key to formulating persuasive arguments. In some countries, such as Jamaica, data collected on sexual minorities focuses primarily on gay men and trans women, rendering the difficulties faced by lesbians almost invisible.
If your government is not yet collecting useful data, “Collect your own data,” urged Global LGBT Forum chair, Klaus Mueller.
Voices from Fellows
“I do think economic argument has usefulness in certain situations. I think activists should judge for themselves what will work better in their country. The argument that exclusion of LGBT people is bad for the economy can create conversation amongst people who might not otherwise see them as rights... People who are concerned about the economy, whether the government officials or business people, often will see that it has some value... So if it works in a particular country, I think it can be a powerful argument.”
M. V. Lee Badgett, professor of economics and director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
“I think it is a very crucial argument to make. I think pragmatism is as important as the principled approach. In fact what I want to challenge is why we are even uncomfortable making the economic argument in the first place. I think given that we know how effective it can be, we should definitely push it in as a strong term specific.”
Danish Sheikh, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore, India
“There are many ways to approach this issue and all of them are correct. The most important thing is to include everything... I meet lot of people, from top to bottom, like politicians, lawyers, teacher, families, younger generation, older generation and try and connect them with each other and gather that power. It is important to remember to make friends and not enemies when fighting for the LGBT Human Rights.”
Fumino Sugiyama, transgender activist in Japan and LGBT advisor for Shibuya district in Tokyo, Japan
“For some persons and governments, the economic argument will resonate more and for some persons human rights argument will resonate more...It is like looking at change in the laws of a country. You don’t want to work on changing the laws alone without changing the society’s hearts and minds. So you try to bring legislative change as well societal change at the same time... We have to use and work both arguments, seeing ways in which both arguments can work together and separately in taking the movement forward.”
Angeline Jackson, co-founder and executive director of Quality of Citizenship Jamaica
“I think we should use whatever argument is in our resources in order to advance LGBT human rights... But we have to make sure we are bringing the change as quick as possible. Some arguments slow us down and when it comes to LGBT rights we have to look at the wider picture. Are we also fighting for the artificial divide that exists in terms of economic, social, or political civil rights? We have to look at issues through interconnection of human rights, through solidarity with other groups within the human rights, because it will advance LGBT rights and human rights in general... And if we look beyond human rights and try and fight the issue of poverty, social exclusion, it will help fight for LGBT rights.”
Vasilika Laci, program officer at Civil Rights Defenders, Albania
“An economic argument can help to bolster the human rights arguments and mobilize greater investment to tackle discrimination against LGBT community. My premise is supported by new research in other rights areas. For example, the World Bank argues that domestic violence isn’t just an egregious human rights abuse. It’s also an economic drain. Globally, the loss of productivity resulting from domestic violence range from 1.2 of GDP in Brazil and Tanzania to 2 percent of GDP in Chile. These figures do not include costs associated with emotional wellbeing.”
Rangita de Silva de Alwis, associate dean of the international programs at University of Pennsylvania Law School, USA
The Salzburg Global program Strengthening Communities: LGBT Rights & Social Cohesion is part of multi-year series Global LGBT Forum. The list of our partners for Session 551 can be found here. For more information, please visit: www.salzburgglobal.org/go/551
You can follow all discussions online on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via the hashtag #SGSlgbt
*LGBT: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. We are using this term as it is currently widely used in human rights conversations on sexual orientation and gender identity in many parts of the world, but we would not wish it to be read as exclusive of other cultural concepts, contemporary or historical, to express sexuality and gender, intersex and gender-nonconforming identities.