The Landscape surrounding LGBT rights in Asia-Pacific is changing fast. This report, the fourth in an annual series of Economist Intelligence Unit studies addressing the business and economic case for global LGBT diversity and inclusion (D&I), focuses on the situation in Asia-Pacific and what progress has been made compared to the first Pride and Prejudice survey fielded in 2015. Based on a survey of nearly 2,000 executives and the general public on the subject of D&I in Asia-Pacific, both in the workplace and broader society, it finds that there’s clear progress in some respects and reasons for concern in others:

A virtuous circle is emerging, in which visibility for LGBT workers is rising along with the perception of bottom-line benefits to diversity and inclusion (D&I). Companies in Asia-Pacific may not be satisfying the growing appetite for corporate D&I. Business momentum is increasing hand-in-hand with greater societal openness toward SOGI in Asia-Pacific, although progress is hardly assured.

 

The report, based on a global survey of over 1,000 executives, posits a framework toward achieving positive change for LGBT employees via three key workplace groups: leadership, young people and women.

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This report, the third in an annual series of Economist Intelligence Unit studies addressing the business and economic case for global LGBT diversity and inclusion (D&I), assesses the future prospects for corporate advocacy in the LGBT space, given the perils that face proponents of the liberal, open-minded worldview that underpins LGBT equality. Based on a survey of over 1,000 business leaders worldwide, it finds that although some companies still prioritise LGBT advocacy, the recent rapid social progress in LGBT acceptance that is both cause and effect of this advocacy should not be taken for granted. The key findings are:

Nearly half of respondents believe companies will become more prominent as agents of progress for LGBT rights in future; however, only a third say their own companies will devote more resources to LGBT advocacy, compared with today Although companies with established public positions on LGBT rights are not likely to reverse course, companies that remain “in the shadows” on this issue are likely to stay there Future expectations for various types of advocacy activities are concentrated in North America and Europe, while other regions, where LGBT rights are less entrenched, lag Companies that engage in pro-LGBT advocacy perform better on various measures of business competitiveness compared with their peers, based on self-reported factors Though LGBT issues continue to play a role in political outcomes around the world, few believe the public will demand more progress on this issue versus other rights debates like gender and race and ethnicity

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