Despite growing visibility and efforts toward inclusion, LGBTQ+ professionals around the world continue to face significant challenges at work, according to a new report from global think tank Coqual.
The report, Pride Under Pressure: Charting a Course for Global LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion, surveyed more than 2,500 full-time professionals across five countries. It found that anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination continues to shape career decisions, limit advancement opportunities, and undermine safety in the workplace—despite some progress since Coqual’s last global LGBTQ+ study in 2016.
“LGBTQ+ professionals are at the heart of every identity—across race, gender, class, religion, and nationality,” said Jennie Glazer, CEO of Coqual. “If we build workplaces where they feel safe, valued, and seen, we build better workplaces for everyone.”
Discrimination influences where people work
Across the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, India, and South Africa, many LGBTQ+ professionals said they choose employers and even countries based on safety concerns and anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes. In India, 56 percent of respondents said discrimination significantly influenced their choice of employer. In Brazil, that figure was 18 percent.
Even in countries with more established diversity frameworks, challenges remain. In the U.S., one in three LGBTQ+ professionals said they are not out to anyone at work. In the UK, 72 percent disclosed their identity to managers but were far less open with peers, highlighting a complex landscape around authenticity at work.
Representation at the top remains rare
While the number of openly LGBTQ+ executives has grown—from zero in the Fortune 500 in 2016 to 25 globally today—barriers to advancement persist. Between 30 and 50 percent of LGBTQ+ professionals in markets like Brazil and India said they believe staying closeted is necessary to reach executive roles.
Though some professionals now have role models in leadership, representation gaps remain, particularly for transgender and gender-diverse individuals. The report calls on companies to dedicate specific attention to these professionals, who often face the steepest barriers to inclusion.
New tool to guide employers
Alongside the report, Coqual introduced the Coqual Navigator, a diagnostic framework designed to help multinational employers move from symbolic gestures to meaningful action. It focuses on four areas: business case, organizational capacity, local context, and workplace culture.
By addressing structural inequities and tailoring inclusion efforts to local realities, the tool aims to help companies improve safety, well-being, and belonging for LGBTQ+ employees.
The report includes seven takeaways for employers, including the need to align corporate values with DEIB strategies, ensure visible and meaningful support for LGBTQ+ professionals, and recognize the role of intersectionality in shaping workplace experiences.
Methodology and scope
The survey included 2,582 respondents, all working full-time in professional occupations and aged 21 or older. Thirty percent identified as LGBTQ+, while 4 percent identified as transgender or gender diverse. The study was conducted across Brazil, India, South Africa, the UK, and the U.S.
While some progress is evident, Coqual said the report is a reminder that DEIB efforts must remain active, strategic, and responsive to the realities LGBTQ+ professionals face at work.
“Now is the time for DEIB leaders, practitioners, and allies to rise and meet this moment with courage and purpose,” Glazer said.
