You don’t deserve to be discriminated against for your sexual orientation

When you started at your new job, you loved how you were treated and became a part of the team. You felt comfortable, so when someone abruptly asked you if you had a date for the weekend, you admitted that you were going to see your boyfriend for drinks.

You didn’t expect that would cause any problems, but you started noticing changes. A supervisor told you not to talk about personal business at work, even though others were openly sharing their date night plans. You were moved to an office away from other workers. You even overheard a co-worker calling you a derogatory name behind your back.

Can you be discriminated against for your sexual orientation?

If you know about antidiscrimination laws, then you should know that you are protected in the workplace against discrimination you could face due to your sexual orientation. Your employer may not:

• Refuse to hire or promote you
• Deny training to you
• Treat you unequally and refuse opportunities for advancement
• Harass you

It doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is. That has no impact on your ability to do a job and cannot be used as a reason to discriminate against you in the workplace.

Why does harassment and discrimination take place due to a person’s sexual orientation?

Discrimination against a person’s sexual orientation can happen for many reasons. It could happen as a result of having a boss, client or supervisor who is uncomfortable with another person’s orientation. It could happen because of stereotyping and personal opinions.

At the end of the day, it’s not fair to have to deal with this kind of discrimination, and you don’t have to put up with it. Our website has more on what to do if you’ve been victimized because of your sexual orientation.