- The “State of Hate 2026” report directly links economic precariousness with a drastic increase in vulnerability to LGTBIphobia.
- Harassment affects 50% of people with the least income, while in high incomes the figure drops to 20%.
- The workplace is consolidated as the second main scene of attacks, registering more sexual violence with intimidation than on public roads itself.
Economic precariousness not only empties pockets, it also takes away security. According to the research “State of Hate 2026”, made by the LGTBI+ State Federation Together with 40dB and the CSIC, there is an unbearable violence gap: LGTBI+ people who earn less than €1,000 a month suffer twice as much exposure to hate as those with high incomes.
The danger of precariousness: Unemployed and in the office
The report paints a very harsh reality in which the LGTBIQ+ community does not find a safe place. On the one hand, The workplace has become a focus of sexual violence: 21% of attacks with intimidation occur within companies, a figure that exceeds the 15% of those that occur in public.
On the other hand, the unemployment situation makes things worse. The data shows that People who do not have a job are at a much higher risk of suffering hate attacks than those who have a stable job or are studying. In short, poverty and lack of employment leave people “unarmed” in the face of aggressors, whether in their daily lives or inside an office where they are afraid to report for fear of dismissal.
The urgency of applying the Law
Given this panorama, the president of the LGTBI+ State Federation, Paula Iglesias, has called on companies to stop seeing equality plans as something optional. Implement the Royal Decree on LGTBI+ Equality is mandatory for companies with more than 50 employees and it is the only way to protect the most vulnerable profiles.
“Unemployment and low resources increase the possibility of being a victim of hate,” warns Iglesias. Therefore, it is urgent to create safe reporting channels and protection protocols that prevent LGTBIphobia from continuing to steal opportunities from those who have it most difficult.
Tools for companies: Attract talent without prejudices
To combat this exclusion from the roots, the LGTBI+ Federation remembers that there are programs such as EMIDIS and Yes we trans, specifically designed to accompany companies in their internal transformation. These initiatives not only help comply with the Royal Decree on Equality, but also advise companies so that their selection processes are clean of LGTBIphobia. The objective is to prevent diverse talent from being systematically discarded, something that condemns many people in the group to that circle of low income and high vulnerability that the report denounces.
Currently, more than 30 companies a year already use these tools to create action protocols against harassment and confidential reporting channels. “Preventing attacks in the work environment is a structural business responsibility, not optional”, insists the Federation, emphasizing that a safe environment improves not only the life of the worker, but also the retention of talent and the productivity of the company itself.
The State Pact as the last guarantee
However, change in offices is not enough if the social climate remains tense. The State Federation urgently demands the approval of a State Pact against hate speech. President Paula Iglesias warns that the increase in violence in the streets and on digital platforms (where 1 in 10 LGTBI+ people have already suffered discrimination at work) is the direct result of a normalization of hate in public debate.
This pact seeks a democratic consensus that stops hostility before it turns into physical aggression. The research makes clear that the most vulnerable groups—especially those with fewer financial resources to afford legal defense or psychological support—are those who are paying the highest price for this polarization. “The lives of thousands of people are at stake.“concludes the report, remembering that the freedom of the group cannot depend on what each person has in their bank account.
