Rights and Justice

LGBTQI+ Policy

The LGBTQI+ Policy team provides timely, strategic resources on policy issues affecting LGBTQI+ communities.

Participants hold up their fists prior to the start of the 46th annual Gay Pride march, June 26, 2016 in New York. (Getty/Bryan R. Smith/AFP)

What We're Doing

Expanding legal and lived equality for LGBTQI+ people

Through data and policy analysis, we examine the effects of discrimination and the misuse of religious exemptions while advocating for comprehensive federal nondiscrimination protections such as the Equality Act.

Advancing racial equity in LGBTQI+ policy

Our research has clearly demonstrated stark racial disparities in well-being, vulnerabilities, and experiences of discrimination among LGBTQI+ people. We work to show the nature of these disparities and ensure policy responses do not continue to leave LGBTQI+ people of color behind.

Improving LGBTQI+ health and economic security

Exclusion of LGBTQI+ people from opportunities in education, employment, housing, and health care has material consequences on the well-being of LGBTQI+ individuals. We examine these impacts and recommend responses to policymakers and other key stakeholders.

Enhancing data collection from LGBTQI+ people

Good policy demands good research, and the government needs an accurate picture of the experiences of LGBTQI+ people to adequately respond to the issues they face. Expanding and enhancing data collection on sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status in research is a central priority of our team.

The LGBTQI+ Policy team provides timely, strategic resources on policy issues affecting LGBTQI+ communities.

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Featured Experts

Featured work

Fair Play
Report A teacher plays softball with a group of students, May 2019. (Getty/Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald)

Fair Play

Shoshana K. Goldberg

Latest

Compact View

2023 CAP IDEAS Conference Past Event
CAP IDEAS Conference logo

2023 CAP IDEAS Conference

Join the Center for American Progress as we celebrate 20 years of innovative policy solutions and look boldly forward to a progressive future.

Paid Leave Policies Must Include Chosen Family Article
Photo shows a couple sitting together on a park bench.

Paid Leave Policies Must Include Chosen Family

In order to better support all workers—especially LGBTQI+ workers—policymakers must design paid leave policies that are inclusive of chosen family and reflect the diverse caregiving needs of people across the country.

Caroline Medina, Molly Weston Williamson

Discrimination and Barriers to Well-Being: The State of the LGBTQI+ Community in 2022 Report
Intersex Progress Pride flag

Discrimination and Barriers to Well-Being: The State of the LGBTQI+ Community in 2022

A comprehensive new CAP study finds that many LGBTQI+ people continue to face discrimination in their personal lives, employment, housing, and health care, as well as in the public sphere.

Caroline Medina, Lindsay Mahowald

Advancing Health Care Nondiscrimination Protections for LGBTQI+ Communities Report
A woman wears a pride flag in her hair in Manassas, Virginia.

Advancing Health Care Nondiscrimination Protections for LGBTQI+ Communities

New data reveal that LGBTQI+ communities encounter discrimination and other challenges when interacting with health care providers and health insurers, underscoring the importance of strengthening nondiscrimination protections through Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

Caroline Medina, Lindsay Mahowald

How Congress can illuminate LGBTQI+ experiences — and craft equitable solutions In the News

How Congress can illuminate LGBTQI+ experiences — and craft equitable solutions

Caroline Medina and Rose Khattar discuss the historic House passage of the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act and underscore how comprehensive data collection is critical to better understand LGBTQI+ communities, shed light on persistent disparities, and craft responsive policy solutions.

The Hill

Caroline Medina, Rose Khattar

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