Washington, D.C. — LGBTQI+ people continue to experience structural and interpersonal discrimination that adversely affects their well-being and drives disparate outcomes across crucial areas of life. The current patchwork of nondiscrimination laws in states across the country and existing gaps in federal civil rights laws also leave millions of LGBTQI+ people without protection from discrimination. Recently, there has also been a marked surge in anti-LGBTQI+ attacks and a rise in extremist anti-LGBTQI+ and, specifically, anti-transgender rhetoric, disinformation, and violence. As part of an ongoing effort to understand the lives and experiences of LGBTQI+ communities during this period, the Center for American Progress today released a new report on the “State of the LGBTQI+ Community in 2022” featuring new data from its nationally representative survey.
Major findings from the survey include:
- More than 1 in 3 LGBTQI+ adults reported facing some kind of discrimination in the year prior to when they took the survey, while fewer than 1 in 5 non-LGBTQI+ individuals did so.
- Half of LGBTQI+ adults reported experiencing some form of workplace discrimination or harassment in the past year because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status, including being fired; being denied a promotion; having their work hours cut; or experiencing verbal, physical, or sexual harassment.
- Nearly 3 in 10 LGBTQI+ adults reported experiencing some kind of housing discrimination or harassment in the past year because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status, including being prevented or discouraged from buying a home, being denied access to a shelter, or experiencing harassment from housemates or neighbors.
- Nearly 4 in 5 LGBTQI+ adults reported they took at least one action to avoid experiencing discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status, including hiding a personal relationship, avoiding law enforcement, avoiding medical offices, or changing the way they dressed.
“These survey results clearly illustrate that LGBTQI+ people continue to face discrimination and barriers to well-being across key areas of life,” said Caroline Medina, director of LGBTQI+ Policy at American Progress. “Our findings emphasize the urgent need for policymakers to take action to adopt and enforce strong nondiscrimination protections and meaningfully invest in resources and programming that will improve the economic security, health, and well-being of LGBTQI+ people across the country.”
Read the report: “Discrimination and Barriers to Well-Being: The State of the LGBTQI+ Community in 2022” by Caroline Medina and Lindsay Mahowald
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Madia Coleman at [email protected].