Final answer:
Three negative influences that limit career choice for sexual minorities are c. social stigma, workplace harassment, and legal barriers, which can create hostile environments and impact career development and economic contributions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When identifying variables that may limit career choice for sexual minorities, three negative influences are social stigma, workplace harassment, and legal barriers. Social stigma can manifest in various forms of discrimination and prejudice within society at large, impacting individuals' mental health and their integration into the labor market. Workplace harassment expresses itself through discriminatory attitudes and behaviors from colleagues or superiors that can diminish job performance and lead to emotional distress. Legal barriers may include laws and institutional practices that directly or indirectly exclude sexual minorities from certain occupations or promote unequal working conditions based on sexual orientation.
The cumulative effect of these factors can significantly limit career choices for sexual minorities by creating an unwelcoming or hostile environment in educational settings, workplaces, and society. The barriers to equitable participation in the labor market for these groups not only affect their personal career development but also have broader economic implications by potentially reducing the overall contributions to fields like science and technology, which can in turn have a negative impact on economic growth.