Although California has made significant strides in LGBTQ+ rights over the past couple of decades, many people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or nonheterosexual continue to face discrimination and unfair treatment at work. Such reality holds in Santa Cruz County, where LGBTQ+ individuals make up a significant portion of the young adult workforce. This fact sheet draws on original data from the Thriving Youth Study, led by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and the UC Santa Cruz Center for Labor and Community, which surveyed Santa Cruz County residents and workers aged 18 to 34. The findings point to the urgent need for stronger protection and labor law enforcement, primarily for young LGBTQ+workers.

Copublished by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and the UC Santa Cruz Center for Labor and Community.