while canada is internationally recognized as a tolerant place to live and work, members of the lgbtq community commonly find themselves on the lower end of pay scale, according to sean waite, a sociology professor at the university of western ontario. canada’s
employment equity act
currently states that federally regulated industries must accommodate just four groups: women, visible minorities, indigenous people and those with disabilities.
“lesbians, gays and bisexuals are not part of the group,”
waite said
. “i feel that would be a nice first step to embrace diversity and would force federally-regulated industries, including universities, to keep numbers of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals within their organization and take steps to accommodate diversity and difference in the labour market.”
waite said some of his research, published in the journal
research in social stratification and mobility
, has made it clear that a “wage hierarchy” exists in canada with heterosexual men assuming the top position, followed by gay men, lesbians, bisexual men, heterosexual women and, finally, bisexual women.
his study found that single, bisexual men made 20 per cent less than their heterosexual male counterparts and single, bisexual women made 29 per cent less than their straight, female peers. his research also found an employment boost for single, lesbian women, who were more likely to be employed than single, heterosexual men. bisexuals, regardless of partnership type, were less likely to be employed than heterosexual men.