Study: Gay Men Offered Less Job Interviews

[William769]

According to a study published today in the American Journal of Sociology, men whose resumes indicate that they’re gay are 40% less likely to be called in for job interviews, especially in the south or Midwest.

Pink News reports that Harvard University researcher Andras Tilcsik submitted two “realistic but fictitious” resumes to 1,700 white collar job openings. One indicated that the applicant had served as a treasurer of his college gay society, while the other mentioned involvement in the “Progressive and Socialist Alliance.”

Tilcsik reasoned that employers were likely to associate both applicants with similarly left-leaning political views, which would increase the likelihood of rejection being based solely on the gay affiliation.

The story says, “The results showed that applicants without the gay reference had an 11.5% chance of being called for an interview. However, which mentioned the gay society had only a 7.2% chance. The difference amounted to a 40% higher chance of the heterosexual applicant getting a call.”

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/10/04/Study_Gay_Men_Offered_Less_Job_Interviews/

[Maine_Nurse]

1. To be truthful, I'd be even less likely to call someone for an interview...

that stated that they were treasurer of their college hetero society too (I am a straight male that couldn't care less what anyone's sexuality is). That is an honest assessment of what my gut feeling would be. How either party could word things without eliciting that type of response, I don't know. If I were hiring a position for an accountant, treasurer, etc, I would probably not even notice the reference and be focused on the direct experience, but otherwise, it would pop into my mind.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Would the same "rule" apply to treasurers of the NAACP or Women's Student Assoc.?

[Occulus]

4. "How either party could word things without eliciting that type of response..."

It depends on whether or not the interviewer is a bigot.

[lbrtbell]

2. And we file this in the "Obvious" folder

This country has a long way to go....