Sexual Orientation and Identity: Examining Prejudice in Leadership Perceptions

Indianapolis, IN

Research has demonstrated that gay men and women face unique forms of prejudice, and yet only a handful of studies have examined how exactly they are discriminated against in positions of leadership. In the current study, we examine how Perceptions of Identity Conflict- which is the perceived level of conflict a leader psychologically experience in managing two social identities—in this case, sexual orientation and leadership— impact leadership perceptions (Vargas et al, 2018; Clerkin et al, 2009). We randomly assigned participants (n=1000) to evaluate one of four fictitious candidates (straight man, gay man, straight woman, gay woman), that were being considered for the position of CEO for a fictitious organization. We found that perceptions of identity conflict negatively impacted leadership perceptions of lesbian women compared to straight women. This bias was not as strong when comparing straight men to gay men. This study contributes to the body of research on leadership and helps bolster our understanding of how sexual orientation bias functions. Implications and future directions are discussed.