Health Status of LGBTI Employees

Abstract

The discrimination they face in working lifebecomes a threat to the right to life and workwhen combined with political violence on the partof the state and social discrimination derivingfrom religious and traditional causes. The LGBTIindividuals have to cope up with many difficultiesranging from not being able to find jobs to hidetheir identity at workplaces, from facing extra difficulty at work to being readily dismissed due totheir identity. Injustices faced by minority groups as a result of demographic reasons such as sexual orientation have been shown to affect negatively their physical and psychological health both. Studies reveal that work stress is quite important for LGBTI individuals, reaching much higher levels than faced by heterosexuals. The increasingly conservative and oppressive regime in Turkey further puts pressure on LGBTI workers while violations in this regard unfortunately go mostly unreported and unrecorded. There is serious need for trade unions, universities and LGBTI organizations to engage in further research to make the issue visible and politicized.

Keywords

• LGBTI, Occupational Health

LGBTİ ÇALIŞANLARIN SAĞLIĞI

Öz

Çalışma yaşamında uğradıkları ayrımcılık, devlet tarafından uygulanan siyasal şiddet, dini ve geleneksel nedenlerle uğradıkları toplumsal ayrımcılıkla birleştiğinde yaşam ve sağlık hakkını tehdit eder. LGBTİ bireyler kimlikleri nedeniyle iş bulamamaktan, işyerlerinde kimliklerini gizlemek zorunda kalmaya, kimlikleri nedeniyle ayrımcılığa maruz kalma ve işten kovulmaya kadar birçok zorlukla baş etmek zorunda kalır. İşyerlerinde cinsel yönelim gibi demografik nedenlerle azınlık olan grupların maruz kaldıkları haksızlıkların hem fiziksel hem de psikolojik sağlığını olumsuz etkilediği gösterilmektedir. Araştırmalarda iş stresinin LGBTİ bireyler açısından önemli olduğu, heteroseksüellere göre çok daha yüksek düzeylerde saptandığı gösterilmiştir. Türkiye’deki muhafazakârlaşma ve baskı rejimi LGBTİ çalışanlar üzerindeki denetimi daha da artırmakta bu alanda yaşanan ihlaller ne yazık ki yeterince bilinmemektedir. Sendikaların, üniversitelerin, LGBTİ örgütlerinin bu konuda daha fazla araştırma yapmasına ve sorunu görününür hale getirip politikleştirmesine ciddi olarak ihtiyaç bulunmaktadır.Anahtar sözcükler: LGBTİ, İşçi sağlığıHealth Status of LGBTI EmployeesThe discrimination they face in working life becomes a threat to the right to life and work when combined with political violence on the part of the state and social discrimination deriving from religious and traditional causes. The LGBTI individuals have to cope up with many difficulties ranging from not being able to find jobs to hide their identity at workplaces, from facing extra difficulty at work to being readily dismissed due to their identity. Injustices faced by minority groups as a result of demographic reasons such as sexual orientation have been shown to affect negatively their physical and psychological health both. Studies reveal that work stress is quite important for LGBTI individuals, reaching much higher levels than faced by heterosexuals. The increasingly conservative and oppressive regime in Turkey further puts pressure on LGBTI workers while violations in this regard unfortunately go mostly unreported and unrecorded. There is serious need for trade unions, universities and LGBTI organizations to engage in further research to make the issue visible and politicized.Key words: LGBTI, Occupational Health

Anahtar Kelimeler

• LGBTİ,İşçi sağlığı

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