 Individuality. It's something we all have in common. But for some, the thing that makes them different, being gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or intersex, marks them out for abuse. According to surveys, between half and two-thirds of LGBT youth experience bullying in childhood, forcing one in three to skip or even drop out of school. Many LGBT adolescents are rejected by their parents and end up living on the streets. Workplace discrimination is widespread. In a recent European survey, one in five LGBT people reported experiencing discrimination at work in the past year. Studies suggest rates of joblessness, poverty, food insecurity, and depression are all higher among members of the LGBT community. For the individuals in question, these are personal tragedies. For the wider community, they represent an enormous waste of human potential, of talent, of creativity, and productivity that weighs heavily on society and on the economy. The cost of homophobia and transphobia is simply colossal. From a shrunken labour force and a flight of talent to lost productivity. According to a recent World Bank pilot study, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people could be costing an economy the size of India's up to $32 billion a year. The drag on growth filters into lower tax receipts for the government, meaning less money for health, education, and other essential services. This cycle can be broken. More and more countries and companies recognize the benefits that flow from tackling homophobia and transphobia. For companies, that might mean adopting new corporate policies to make the workplace safe, fair, and accepting for all LGBT people. And looking at their business practices up and down the supply chain for ways to reinforce anti-discrimination efforts. For countries, it means new laws and effective public education and training. The result? A world that is free and equal and more prosperous too.