Washington, D.C. — One in 5 transgender adults decided not to have children in 2024 due to restricted health care access in the wake of the repeal of Roe v. Wade, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress.
The report presents the latest findings from CAP’s biennial LGBTQI+ Community Survey and weighs the state of America’s LGBTQI+ community in 2024, providing data on health care access, employment, housing, and more. Notably, the survey includes a new set of questions gauging access to reproductive health care post-Roe, finding that LGBTQI+ adults—and especially transgender and nonbinary adults—experience disproportionate harm when access to care is restricted.
Other key findings from the survey include:
- More than 2 in 10 transgender adults reported experiencing some kind of housing discrimination.
- Nearly 1 in 4 LGBTQI+ adults reported experiencing discrimination in the workplace.
- Nearly half of transgender adults reported experiencing discrimination in public spaces, including stores, restaurants, public transportation, and restrooms.
- Nearly 1 in 4 intersex adults had to travel to a different state in order to access abortion, reproductive, or maternal care because laws in their state ban or restrict it.
LGBTQI+ people of color and disabled LGBTQI+ people reported experiencing discrimination at even higher rates. The report’s analysis includes data from a nationally representative group of 3,360 people over age 18, 1,703 of which identify as LGBTQI+. It was conducted in partnership with nonpartisan research group NORC at the University of Chicago.
“In an environment that increasingly politicizes the rights and dignity of LGBTQI+ people, we urgently need to understand how discrimination and stigma affect the community,” said Cait Smith, director of LGBTQI+ Policy at CAP and co-author of the report. “These harms are far-reaching, affecting everything from access to quality health care to economic well-being. With an eye toward pursuing equitable communities, we hope this survey helps identify the key barriers LGBTQI+ people face.”
“To protect this vulnerable community from further harm, Congress should pass legislation securing comprehensive nondiscrimination protections such as those in the Equality Act, which would safeguard LGBTQI+ people from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and public spaces such as restaurants,” said Haley Norris, analyst for LGBTQI+ Policy at CAP and co-author of the report.
Read the report: “The LGBTQI+ Community Reported High Rates of Discrimination in 2024” by Cait Smith and Haley Norris
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Mishka Espey at [email protected].