Lesbians earn more than straight women, apparently
Research has revealed that lesbians earn more than straight women.
The report suggests that lesbians earn 33% more than straight women, based on the responses of 10,000 people.
However, it must also be taken into account that the lesbian respondents worked on average 20% more hours than their straight counterparts.
Professor Mark Wooden, who was a researcher on the project, said of the work: “One explanation for the increased earnings and longer work hours of lesbians might be that this group are less likely to have children than heterosexual women.”
The reason for this may be down to family dynamics. It is still far more common in straight relationships for the woman to take on most of the childcare responsibilities. Gay women, on the other hand, are free from this societal pressure.
Lesbians are also less likely to have an unplanned pregnancy, which can affect career progression.
However, it isn’t all good news. Gay women receive the fewest interviews in career areas that are female-dominated.
Despite earning more than their heterosexual counterparts, lesbians are much more likely to live under the poverty line; with those who are older, raising young children, or lesbians of colour being particularly at risk.
Furthermore, gay men were shown to make less than straight ones.
These findings are largely in line with a 2014 study that looked at sexuality and earnings.
Research by Nick Drydakis at Anglia Ruskin University found gay men on average earn 9% less compared to heterosexual men.
However, lesbians on average earn 12% more compared to heterosexual women.
Even in countries in the EU, Australia, Canada and the US, which have the strongest anti-discrimination laws, gay and lesbian people experienced more obstacles in getting a job, earning bias and harassment than their counterparts.
