'Equal Pay Today' group claims there’s a 'wage gap' in America, and it’s worse for LGBTQ people

Equal Pay Today, a nationwide campaign that aims to bring attention to what it refers to as the "wage gap" commemorated "LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day" on Thursday by claiming that the disparities are more pronounced for workers who identify as members of those groups.

The campaign suggested that "the wage gap is magnified for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, LGBTQIA+ people of color, [and] LGBTQIA+ women," but failed to note that data shows many of those groups' earnings are on par with the national average.



According to data collected by the Human Rights Campaign and shared by Equal Pay Today, LGBTQ+ workers in general make 90 cents for every $1 earned by an average worker. 

Broken down by race, it was revealed that Asians who identify as LGBTQ+ earned the same as the average worker, regardless of gender. Their white and black counterparts earned 97 cents and 80 cents to the dollar, respectively.

Broken down by gender, the report found that LGBTQ+ men earned 96 cents to the dollar, women 87 cents, and non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid and two-spirit workers 70 cents. Trans women reported the lowest earnings, at 60 cents to the dollar.

Comparatively, data compiled by the Department of Labor showed that for every $1 men earn, women earn 84 cents. The agency admitted that, "the largest identifiable causes of the gender wage gap are differences in the occupations and industries where women and men are most likely to work," factors that also account for the lower pay reported by LGBTQ+ workers.

Nonetheless, many ignored that fact and chalked disparities up to discrimination, with Equal Pay Today arguing that the system "devalues" LGBTQ+ labor.

The idea was pushed by Colorado state representative Jenny Willford, who argued the "wage gap" was a "human rights" issue and needed to be closed, adding that she has sponsored and passed two pieces of legislation in the state, "two pieces of [legislation] that move us [forward, but the work isn't done."

Many were quick to criticize the report.

"Wait. So the dudes that are pretending to be women are now pissed they aren't making the same as the other dudes?" one user responded. "As an elected rep, please pray tell how any of these pictures make a lick of sense."