News channels negatively portray the community
According to new research by INvolve, 73% of the LGBT+ community believe they have witnessed discrimination because of unrealistic and negative media portrayals.
In the survey of 537 respondents, 369 of which identified as LGBT+, 50% report that the news is the platform that showcases the most negative portrayals of the community with 68% reporting unrealistic portrayals of the LGBT+ community. These figures were followed closely by Reality TV (47% and 60%) and TV Dramas (25% and 52%).
The research revealed that the way that the LGBT+ community is represented in media is having ripple effects on ‘real-world’ situations for LGBT+ individuals. Nearly 70% believe that the media affects the way they are perceived in the workplace, 60% within their family and 50% within their social circles. Over half of respondents (53%) believe that these perceptions are negative and only 16% believe they are positive.
It is clear from the study that there is a need for more diverse, realistic, and positive representations of the LGBT+ community within the media but INvolve believes this can only happen if there are powerful role models leading the way in the news media and in workplaces.
The annual OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model List has launched and it celebrates businesspeople who play a key role in breaking the glass ceiling for LGBT+ individuals in the workplace. The OUTstanding Role Model Lists, supported by Yahoo Finance UK, is one of three sets of role model lists produced annually by INvolve.
Lex Chan, General Counsel at the Business of Fashion, is named number one of the Future Leaders list. They are named alongside two other British businesspeople, Bruna Gil, Channel Partner Lead at LinkedIn, and Jules Buet, Quantitative Developer at Citi.
Francesca McDonagh, Group Chief Executive Officer for Bank of Ireland Group, Beatriz Martin, UK Chief Executive & Group Treasurer of UBS Group AG, and Caroline Frankum, Global CEO of Kantar, take three spots in the Top Ten Advocates list.
Suki Sandhu OBE, founder and CEO of INvolve, commented:
“Positive role models in business are vital. They blaze a trail for change and inspire others to take action for inclusion.
“They are all working to dismantle systems and smash barriers to progress that can prevent the LGBT+ community from succeeding and thriving both in business and beyond. You can’t be what you can’t see so there is a great need for strong and meaningful role models to be visible in business, across the media and in society.”
