Sociospatial Dynamics of Workplace Discrimination Against LGBTI Plus Employees in Turkey: Systemic Implications, Discursive Patterns, and Legal Considerations

Abstract

IntroductionDiscrimination against LGBTI+ employees in Turkey is widespread and structurally embedded in the spatial and social organization of the workplace. In this study, we investigate the pervasive discrimination faced by LGBTI+ employees in Turkey's workplaces, focusing on how sociospatial dynamics shape these experiences. We draw from Henri Lefebvre's spatial triad-which conceptualizes space as comprising perceived (physical), conceived (institutional), and lived (experiential) dimensions-we examine how workplace environments reproduce and sustain cisnormativity and heteronormativity.MethodsWe conducted a critical interpretive content analysis of open-ended survey responses from 2695 LGBTI+ employees collected between 2015 and 2020 to uncover multifaceted discrimination across employment stages. This qualitative approach enabled the identification of recurring patterns of discrimination across different stages of employment. Inductive coding revealed three central domains: systemic implications, discursive patterns, and legal considerations.ResultsParticipants reported discrimination throughout all stages of employment, from recruitment to dismissal. Many felt pressure to deploy their identity strategically, often negatively impacting their mental health and job satisfaction. While concealment was a common coping strategy, it often failed to protect individuals from structurally embedded discrimination. The findings show how institutional norms, biased language, and legal shortcomings reinforce systemic exclusion. These dynamics demonstrate how perceived, conceived, and lived spaces converge to create hostile work environments for LGBTI+ individuals.ConclusionsThrough the sociospatial analysis, the study reveals how workplace discrimination against LGBTI+ employees in Turkey is deeply embedded through institutional norms, discriminatory discourses, and legal shortcomings that systematically reinforce cisnormative and heteronormative exclusion. The sociospatial organization of these workplaces creates a paradox where LGBTI+ employees become hypervisible targets of bias while remaining invisible in terms of legal protection, demonstrating how spatial dynamics perpetuate structural discrimination that current legal frameworks cannot adequately address.Policy ImplicationsLegal and institutional reforms are urgently needed to challenge heteronormative and cisnormative workplace structures. Explicit legal protections and inclusive organizational practices must be adopted to ensure equity and safety for LGBTI+ employees.