Minority Whistleblowers: Evidence from the LGBTQ+ Community

I examine how public attention affects whistleblowing activity by minorities, mostly focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. I find that, compared with counties that have high protection for LGBTQ+ employees, whistleblowing increases during Pride Month (June) in counties that have low protection for LGBTQ+ employees. This is not driven by changes in exposure to misconduct. I also show similar results for racial minorities. To provide more direct evidence, I conduct a complementary survey experiment and find that LGBTQ+ respondents' willingness to report misconduct increases during Pride Month. The survey responses suggest that the increase in the willingness to report misconduct arises through reduced concerns about retaliation, reputational effects, and adverse responses from the general public. Overall, my analyses provide evidence that public attention on minorities can increase whistleblowing by reducing the expected cost. My findings are important because systematic under-reporting of misconduct in the workplace can have detrimental consequences for minority employees and exacerbate inequality in the labor market.