Big oil companies say they support gay rights, but operate in more than 40 countries that criminalize same-sex behavior. It leaves some LGBTQ workers caught between 2 worlds.

Big oil companies say they support gay rights, but operate in more than 40 countries that criminalize same-sex behavior. It leaves some LGBTQ workers caught between 2 worlds.

Cabot Oil and Gas workers at a hydraulic fracturing site in South Montrose, Pennsylvania







Spencer Platt/Getty Images













Multinational oil companies have made huge strides in their support for LGBTQ rights in the Western world, but some of the largest oil reserves are in countries where it's illegal to be gay.

That puts these companies “” which have global operations and tens of thousands of employees “” in a challenging position.

They face a tension between upholding their own antidiscrimination policies and abiding by local laws, with LGBTQ employees caught in the middle.

Are you an LGBTQ employee in the oil-and-gas industry? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected]