Gay Glass Ceilings: Sexual Orientation and Workplace Authority in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Do sexual minorities face barriers when accessing jobs with supervisory and managerial authority? And once on the managerial ladder, do they face glass ceilings that block them from higher-level posts? In this paper we find that gay men and lesbians are significantly more likely to have positions of authority in the workplace than otherwise similar heterosexual men and women. But we also find clear evidence that gay men face glass ceilings, and that these ceilings are stronger for racial minorities than for white people.

Keywords: sexual orientation, workplace authority, supervisory authority, managerial occupations

JEL Classification: J15, J71, M54