On the occasion of May 17, 2024, international day against homolesbobitransphobia, Eleonora Fontana, secretary of CGIL Marche and Cinzia Massetti, New Rights Office of Marche, underline that even today, particularly in the workplace, episodes of discrimination and micro-aggressions persist.
The confirmation comes from the recent Istat Unar survey on workplace discrimination against LGBT+ people. “Even in the Marche region and at the CGIL Marche New Rights Office, reports received in the workplace regarding LGBT+ people are increasing, in particular, in terms of indirect discrimination, micro-aggressions and outing (revelation by others of sexual orientation or gender identity that the person suffers against his will)”, says Massetti. From the sample examined, 44.2% of employees or former employees declare that they have suffered at least one discriminatory event in the workplace, 81.7% that they have suffered micro-aggressions, i.e. short daily exchanges consisting of denigrating messages such as jokes offensive or suggestive as LGBT+ people, 1 in 3 people experience a hostile climate and have suffered aggression in the workplace such as being humiliated, cursed at or attacked. Furthermore, 41.4% believe that their sexual orientation has been a disadvantage during their working life and 61.2% keep their sexual orientation hidden. The survey reveals how discrimination, threats and fear of aggression are also present in other life contexts: 31.3% have suffered offenses on social media in the last 3 years, 74.5% have avoided holding hands in public with a same-sex partner for fear of being attacked, threatened or harassed. “It is necessary to intervene both in the workplace and in the social sphere to create a true culture of respect for people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, to legislate to remove those obstacles that actually prevent the fulfillment of people as enshrined in the Constitution”, they declare Fontana and Massetti. The CGIL, in recent years, through collective and individual bargaining and protection, has contributed to introducing rules to promote full equality for LGBT+ workers in terms of permits, leave, Alias careers and equal rights. In particular, it is worth noting the result obtained by CGIL and Inca patronage which led to the important ruling on a collective action promoted by the Lenford Network on 25 January 2024, in which the Court of Bergamo condemned INPS for unjustified discrimination against parents of the same sex as the web portal of the institution intended for the submission of parental leave did not allow parents of the same sex to complete the requests, preventing the personal details of both from being provided. (despite being required by the EU Leave Directive 2022). The Court gave a deadline of two months to modify the portal. This day, recognized by the United Nations and the European Union, is therefore an important moment to combat violence, discrimination but everyone’s commitment must be pursued every day starting from the institutions, bodies, their portals and every citizen *.
