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Methodology and Data

The human capital approach suggests investing in LGBTI+ people’s human capital through discrimination-free education and training, improving LGBTI+ people’s health outcomes, and including skilled LGBTI+ people in the workforce under equal treatment policies. (Badgett et al., 2014)
Data collected by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the National LGBTI 2020 Survey in the Dominican Republic.
A subset of respondents and survey variables was selected and resulting analytic dataset included 7,070 respondents.
This dataset is a convenience sample of the experiences of LGBTI+ Dominicans at schools, health care centers, and workplaces.

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Sample Description 1/4

Sexual orientation: Most responders are gay people.

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Sample Description 2/4

Gender Identity: Most responders are cisgender men

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Sample Description 3/4

Age: Most responders are young people.

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Sample Description 4/4

Race: Most responders are mixed.

Residency: Most responders live in Santo Domingo.

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Fair and Equal Treatment

There is a relatively fair legal framework for LGBTI+ youth in the Dominican Republic.

Labor rights: the Labor Code does not explicitly protect gender or sexual minorities, the Code establishes a non-discrimination policy for all employers.
Education rights: Diverse gender identities and sexual orientations are not protected categories under the Education Laws. Under the Ministry of Education’s Peaceful Coexisting Norms, public and private academic institutions cannot discriminate any student on the basis of their sexual orientation.
Health rights: The country’s Health Law grants all Dominican access to health care without any discrimination. There is explicit protection for LGBTI+ people in HIV/AIDS Law.

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Data Analysis

Linear probability model (LPM) is a statistical tool for experimental impact estimation.

To explore the layers of discrimination, the study used linear probability models to estimate the effect of identity, race, job position, professional status, region of residence and education on discrimination.
Variables of interest such as race or region of residence are not statistically significant, implying there might not be a causal connection between these sociodemographic characteristics and discrimination experiences.

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Access to Health

1057 responders indicated they cannot afford medical attention when needed. (N= 7,070)

People who were assigned female at birth such as lesbians, bisexual women, and trans men have less access to health care.
The regression’s results estimate trans people are less likely to access health care, in particular trans men who are -0.015 percentage points less likely to afford health care.

Effect of LGBTI+ identity on Probability of Affording Health Care, with 95% Confidence Intervals

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Access to Education

Most responders have at least graduated from high school while only 1,399 abandoned the education system during elementary or high school. (N= 7,070)

Trans people have lower levels of education, especially trans women.
The regression shows that trans people are less likely to access education, especially trans women who are -0.383 percentage points less likely to at least obtain a high school diploma.
The regression also indicated that Black and Asian LGBTI+ people in the Dominican Republic are less likely to access education.

Effect of LGBTI+ identity on Probability of Access to Education, with 95% Confidence Intervals

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Access to the Workforce

The majority of the sample is currently working either full or part-time while 3,025 responders are not working. (N= 7,070)

Bisexual women are -0.091 percentage points less like to be employed.
Results for trans people are not statistically significant but the regression does show a statistically significant relationship between higher levels of education and workforce participation.

Effect of LGBTI+ identity on Probability of Workforce Participation, with 95% Confidence Intervals

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Conclusion

The survey data has an overrepresentation of gay men who are almost half of the responders.
Trans people represent the smallest group in the sample.
The number of intersex responders is less than 1 % of the sample.
The majority of responders are people between 18 and 29 years old from the Dominican Republic.
Most of the respondents identified as mixed race and live in the Metropolitan area of the country.
Trans people and gay men are statistically more likely to face discrimination in the workplace or during job searches.
People who were assigned female at birth across the groups are less likely to afford health care, especially trans men who along with trans women represent the two populations with less access to health care.
In terms of education, trans people are the group with less access, especially trans women. The lack of education translates to very low workforce participation for trans people along with queers.
Almost half of the responders were unemployed despite the high levels of education on a group level.

Relatively positive human capital results overall. Pressing challenges for the most marginalized groups within the LGBTI+ community in the Dominican Republic.

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Recommendations

The Ministry of Health could provide healthcare workforce sexual and gender identity diversity training
The Ministry of Education could provide training on sexual and gender identity diversity to school administrators and teachers.
The Ministry of Education could cover the school-related expenses of LGBTI+ people whose families are not willing to support them.
The Ministry of Labor could develop an LGBTI+ talent online platform and coordinate LGBTI+ job fairs.
The Ministry of Industries and Commerce should provide entrepreneurship and vocational training to LGBTI+ people.
Development agencies should fund economic development-oriented programming. These programs should be targeted especially to trans, Black, and Asian people in the Dominican Republic.