Over a third of LGBTQ+ musicians have seen or been subject to discrimination based on sexuality while working, while more than half of trans musicians have experienced discrimination based on their gender identity. However, few have reported it.
This comes from a new report from the Musicians’ Union, music charity Help Musicians and music development organisation Come Play With Me, based on data from last year’s UK Musicians’ Census. The aim of the report is to “to act as a catalyst” for the music industry to “tackle discrimination as a matter of urgency”, says MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl.
It also states that there is a significant pay gap between musicians in the LGBTQ+ community and those who are not. All of this contributes to poor mental wellbeing among those surveyed.
The findings have parallels with those of the Misogyny In Music report, published last week by the UK Parliament’s Women And Equalities Committee. That found that the music industry remains a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment and abuse is “endemic”.
“LGBTQ+ musicians are an under researched community and because of this very little is known about their earnings, experiences and working lives – until now”, says Pohl.
“Our aim”, she goes on, “is for the findings of Musicians’ Census LGBTQ+ Musicians Insight Report to act as a catalyst which encourages the UK music industry to work together to tackle discrimination as a matter of urgency, and ensure that the music industry is a safer and more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ musicians”.
While 37% of those surveyed said that they had experienced or witnessed discrimination based on sexuality whilst working as a musician, only 27% had reported it. The figures rise when asked about sexual harassment, with 44% saying that they had either experienced or witnessed it. Two thirds of that group said that this had affected their ability to work or their career progression. However, only a third reported what they had seen or experienced.
For trans musicians specifically, the figures are more stark, with 24% experiencing sexual harassment, 41% witnessing it, and just 14% reporting it.
Financial pressures also pose a significant barrier to of LGBTQ+ musicians, with 55% saying that they could not earn a sustainable living from music alone. There are a number of reasons for this, but one significant issue identified in the report is a pay gap. The average annual income from music for LGBTQ+ musicians, according to the report, is £17,600 - around £4000 less than that of non-LGBTQ+ musicians. For trans musicians the gap rises to almost £10,000.
All of this contributes to poor health, with 43% of LGBTQ+ musicians reporting poor mental wellbeing and 30% saying that they had poor physical health. This is significantly higher than the results across the whole Musicians’ Census survey. Of those who had experienced or witnessed discrimination, 90% reported poor mental wellbeing.
“We know that so many people working in music face challenges related to their sexuality or gender identity”, says Tony Ereira, Director of Come Play With Me. “Many face even more acute issues as they exist across multiple intersectionalities, but until now we haven’t been able to evidence that with meaningful research or data”.
“This report”, he adds, “is crucial as it gives us some excellent insights into how LGBTQ+ musicians identify across the country and where their greatest challenges lie”.
👉 You can download the full LGBTQ+ Musicians Insight Report here.