‘Shine the Light’ 2025 Report Reveals a Complicated Truth: There’s Still Work to Do

This week, the Shine the Light 2025 Report dropped its 2025 findings, and as we dove into the data, one thing became immediately clear: LGBTQIA+ workers are seeing progress in the workplace, but it’s not reaching everyone equally. The fight for true inclusion is far from over.

In its third year, the study from Be The Transformational Change surveyed 1,386 LGBTQIA+ professionals across the United States, making it the largest iteration yet. And while the numbers point to meaningful improvements in workplace support and visibility, they also reflect a more complicated reality, one where growth and ongoing challenges exist side by side. And honestly? That tension is something many of us in the community will recognize immediately: support doesn’t always mean safety, and visibility doesn’t always mean equity.

Let’s start with the good news. Because there is good news, and it deserves to be acknowledged. Nearly three in four respondents (74%) say they feel supported as LGBTQIA+ employees, continuing a steady upward trend from previous years. There’s also been a noticeable increase in trust toward leadership, with 34% of respondents saying they feel strongly comfortable raising concerns about discrimination. On paper, at least, workplaces are moving in the right direction.

But numbers only tell part of the story, and that progress comes with an asterisk.

Because even as support rises, discrimination hasn’t disappeared. In fact, nearly half of respondents (49%) say they’ve experienced or witnessed negative comments, slurs, or jokes about LGBTQIA+ people at work. That number alone is a sobering reminder that workplace culture doesn’t shift overnight, and that policy changes don’t always translate into day-to-day reality.

And when we look closer, the gaps become even clearer.

Transgender and nonbinary employees continue to face some of the most significant barriers. Although 76% of all respondents agree or strongly agree they can use restrooms that align with their gender identity, that number drops significantly among trans folks (44%) and nonbinary (31%) participants. It’s one of the clearest examples in the report of how “inclusion” can still fall short in the most basic, everyday ways, and how certain members of our community are still being asked to navigate systems that weren’t built with them in mind.

The report also highlights the ongoing complexity of being “out” at work. While 62% of respondents say they are openly LGBTQIA+ to most or all of their coworkers, a significant portion still choose not to be, and the reasons they give are painfully familiar. Nearly half of those who aren’t out cite fear of discrimination or harmful workplace behavior. For us, that speaks volumes. Visibility might be more accepted than it once was, but for many, it still doesn’t feel fully safe.

At the same time, Shine the Light 2025 reinforces something we’ve always known: community makes a difference.

Employees who are part of networking groups or have access to LGBTQIA+ employee resource groups (ERGs) are significantly more likely to report positive workplace experiences. These spaces aren’t just performative add-ons; they can be lifelines. They create room for mentorship, connection, and support in environments that might otherwise feel isolating. But even here, access and participation remain uneven, reminding us that building community at work still requires intention and investment.

And then there’s career growth… because inclusion isn’t just about being accepted, it’s about being able to thrive.

For the third year in a row, salary negotiation training ranked as the most valuable job-search resource among respondents, followed by LGBTQIA+ Career Fairs, LGBTQIA+  Job Search Support Group, and other practical tools. That consistency says a lot. LGBTQIA+ professionals aren’t just asking to be included; they’re asking for the resources to succeed, to advocate for themselves, and to close long-standing gaps in pay and opportunity.

Even when benefits exist, they don’t always translate into real support. The report notes that many employees struggle to navigate workplace offerings like gender-affirming healthcare, often having to seek help outside their organizations. It’s a frustrating but familiar reality, where companies can point to inclusive policies, but employees are left to figure out how to actually use them.

Taken together, the findings paint a picture of a workplace landscape in transition. One where progress is real, especially among younger workers like Gen Z, who report higher levels of overall support. But it’s also a landscape where inequities persist, shaped by identity, access, and the gap between intention and action.

For us, the takeaway feels both hopeful and urgent.

Yes, things are getting better. But better isn’t the same as equitable. And if the Shine the Light 2025 Report makes anything clear, it’s that inclusion can’t stop at surface-level support or once-a-year visibility. It has to show up in policies, in culture, and in the everyday experiences of LGBTQIA+ employees, especially those who continue to be marginalized within our own community. Because until every one of us can show up to work fully, safely, and without hesitation, there’s still work to do.

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To learn more about Be the Transformational Change and the Shine the Light 2025 Report. Head to www.bethetransformationalchange.org. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!

Featured Image: Image Courtesy of Be the Transformational Change.