Queer Economy: Global View and Bangladesh

Author: Toyon

Why are you Black? Why are you White? Why are you Fat? Why are you Skinny? Social Science explores the mystery of these “Why”. Look at your five fingers. Are they all equal? If not, does it indicate to cut off your fingers to make them equal? The point is to persuade your mind. We have to figure out how discrimination degrades the whole country from marginal to global perspective and brings social as well as economical damages. Bringing women into the mainstream economic activities has been a challenge for Bangladesh and the newly added issue is to ensure the basic rights of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community. A few days ago LGBT community of Bangladesh was raising voice for basic rights but now after the killing of some leading LGBT activists they have hidden and become invisible. 

Linking Queer-Economic loss from Micro to Macro Level: 

Homosexuality in Bangladesh is a taboo. The reasons are not unidentified. There is no constituent voice from any politician, leader or activist. The hidden identity is feared by death threats and colored by misguidance of the biased law of religious fundamentalism and extremism. The ultimate outcome leads to the loss of economics productivity and hence, creates scope of floor of immediate economic inclusion of LGBT community.

The discriminating hatred treatment of LGBT people causing economic harm leads to inferior economic output for individuals, societies and even countries. On potential side, the comprehensive policies along with acceptance among the societal entities can improve a country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). They cannot take part in the economy which creates societal burden cost for government. Besides their skills, knowledge assumed to be limited because of the hatred from every corner of the society. And it affects their productivity and country losses labor effectiveness. The National Transgender Discrimination Survey (Jaime M. Grant, and Others, 2008) found that 15 percent of respondents were living in severe poverty (making less than $10,000/year). 

Because of the nonacceptance of the phenomenon there is no such concrete statistics regarding the economic loss incurred by the discrimination of LGBT people of Bangladesh though the cost can be huge if measured. Stigmatizing LGBT people in India could be costing up to $32 billion a year in lost economic output (M. V. Lee Badgett, October, 2014). Since the neighboring country is facing such huge possible economic cost, Bangladesh is not exception to it. 

Does inclusion of Queer in Economy really create value?

Unfortunately, the threat to behead, to execute or imprisonment make it almost impossible to collect data or do research on the field. Hence, data on LGBT people in Bangladesh are not available to estimate the real scenario. But there is certain way to calculate the economic loss and correlate it with the GDP of the country. Neighboring country India could be throwing away more than $26 billion a year by stigmatizing LGBT people (M. V. Lee Badgett, October, 2014). Both of the figures (M. V. Lee Badgett, October, 2014) show clear correlation between GDP per capital and right indexes related to homosexual orientation and transgender people.

Policy magnetism of government can be one of the initial ways to recoup the social cost resulting from exclusion of queers in economy. Study released by USAID and the Williams Institute at UCLA, finds that countries that treat LGBT people equally have better-performing economies. It finds that there is strong positive effect of gay rights on economic output produced by economy. Furthermore, a better environment for LGBT individuals can be an attractive bargaining chip for welcoming multi-national investments or even more tourists , on the other hand, conservative climate that keep LGBT people discriminated will hold economy back from its full potential. Thus, it is high time for policy makers of Bangladesh to suppose the notion with more care.

Is it possible to build a better Economy together?

 “Today, businesses no longer reserve basic workplace fairness for part of their workforce, but are instead making protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity consistent across their global operations. This is not only a great step forward for the LGBT movement, but for the entire world. Tomorrow’s economy cannot afford to leave any workers’ talent and contributions off the table simply because of who they love.” 

-(Chad Griffin, President Human Rights Campaign  Foundation, 2016)

Despite continuous death threats, killing of activists, cutting of heads and the victim-blaming many in Bangladesh's LGBT community still want to further the hope. Only Government can liberalize the situation and bring out the inclusion of Queer-Economy.