Abstract: 

This paper presents a literature review of the relationship between the LGBT+ community and economic development. The LGBT+ community is often excluded from economic processes due to prejudice and discrimination, which leads to negative impacts on both the community and society as a whole. The study highlights the importance of examining power relations and their impact on marginalized communities, as well as the need to center marginalized voices and perspectives in any efforts towards social justice. The literature review covers various works that discuss the origins of the field of research and its most important concepts, including queer perspectives on international relations and economics. The study emphasizes the significance of examining dominant narratives and structures, and includes empirical evidence of the prejudice distorting the labour market. The study also explores the role of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship in economic development, as well as the challenges and barriers that LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs may face, such as difficulty accessing capital and networks. More recent studies have investigated the relationship between LGBT+ inclusion and economic development, using macro-level analysis to investigate the impact of inclusion on a country’s economic development. Overall, the study argues for more statistical analysis and ways the area can be enriched, emphasizing the need to examine the struggles faced by the LGBT+ community and investigate how the field is addressing the issue of economic exclusion and its downsides in development. The paper provides an overview of the field, including its most important concepts, and concludes with some general directions for further studies.