lavender ceiling

English

Noun

lavender ceiling (plural lavender ceilings)

1. An unwritten barrier preventing the advancement of LGBT people in society.

   Coordinate terms: bamboo ceiling, cotton ceiling, glass ceiling

   • 1993 May 17, Denise Hamilton, “WORKPLACE DIVERSITY : Gays Confront ’Lavender Ceiling’”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[1], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-09-13:

     Each day, thousands of employees throughout corporate California wrestle with whether to come out of the closet. Some fear that revealing their sexual orientation will bring down the "lavender ceiling," which they say can spell the difference between a promotion and stagnation.

   • 2014 May 26, Selisse Berry, “Letter: Gay Chief Executives”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-06-16:

     Just as Hillary Rodham Clinton famously put "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling" for women in high office, so there are a number of corporate executives who are doing the same for the lavender ceiling faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. It's just a matter of time before they are promoted to the top job.

   • 2017 February 27, Mary Emily O'Hara, “'Moonlight' Makes Oscars History as 1st LGBTQ Best Picture Winner”, in NBC News‎^[3], archived from the original on 2023-05-30:

     The "lavender ceiling" has been shattered — after nearly a century in place. On Sunday at around midnight, "Moonlight" became the first LGBTQ film ever to take the Best Picture prize at the 89th annual Academy Awards.

   • 2017 November 8, Mary Wang, “Two Newly Elected Transgender Women Just Smashed the "Lavender Ceiling," and Here's Why That Matters”, in Vogue‎^[4], New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-06-06:

     During a time when the Trump administration seems to be working hard to strengthen the lavender ceiling that prohibits the LGBTQ community from functioning equally in American society—whether by claiming that LGBTQ employees can be fired from their workplace for their sexual orientation or by attempting to ban transgender people from serving in the military—Jenkins's and Roem's victories strike a hopeful note for the country at large.

   • 2020 November 4, Jon Henley, “US elects first trans state senator and first black gay congressman”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎^[5], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-03-16:

     "For Sarah to shatter a lavender ceiling in such a polarising year is a powerful reminder that voters are increasingly rejecting the politics of bigotry in favour of candidates who stand for fairness and equality," said Annise Parker of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which trains and supports out candidates.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lavender,‎ ceiling.

References

• “lavender ceiling”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.