Researchers at UNMC’s College of Public Health released an initial community report last June on issues surrounding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender individuals.
Dr. Christopher Fisher is an Assistant Professor in the College of Public Health. He says the goal of the study was to examine the physical, mental, social and sexual health of the LGBT community.
From that study, researchers began digging deeper into the data that was collected. Dr. Fisher says UNMC conducted an online survey of the LGBT community and found workforce discrimination is a serious problem within the community.
"People who had indicated some form of workplace discrimination were significantly more likely to experience depression or depressive symptoms. And not only were they more likely to experience them, but their scores were at the point on this particular scale, where we would actually go back and say they actually needed to go through a clinical assessment because they may actually be clinically depressed.”
Fisher says when they found the City Council would once again discuss a workplace non-discrimination ordinance, he felt it was a good opportunity to gather information policymakers could use during that debate.
The City Council will hold a public hearing on the ordinance tomorrow and will vote on March 13th.