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.
LGBTQI+ Members of Generation Z Face Unique Social and Economic Concerns
Disproportionately high rates of discrimination in school, housing, and the workforce among young LGBTQI+ individuals negatively affects their well-being.
The United States Must Advance Economic Security for Disabled LGBTQI+ Workers
Data indicate that disabled LGBTQI+ workers experience higher rates of barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment, resulting in difficulties in obtaining economic security.
Protecting and Advancing Health Care for Transgender Adult Communities
The federal government and policymakers must address health disparities and barriers to care for transgender communities by implementing holistic policy solutions.
Black LGBTQ Individuals Experience Heightened Levels of Discrimination
The compounding effects of discrimination for Black LGBTQ Americans are evident in the workplace, health care systems, and police interactions, leading to gaps in economic advancement and mental and physical health outcomes.
LGBTQ People of Color Encounter Heightened Discrimination
A nationally representative survey conducted in June 2020 by the Center for American Progress highlights that LGBTQ people of color are more likely than white LGBTQ individuals to encounter discrimination in a variety of settings.
4 Ways the U.S. Government Can Strengthen Refugee Resettlement for LGBTQI People
President Joe Biden’s executive actions create a framework for protecting LGBTQI people fleeing persecution, but agencies must act to implement these safeguards.
A Timeline of the Biden Administration’s Efforts To Support LGBTQ Equality in the First 100 Days
In the administration’s first 100 days in office, the federal government has taken notable steps to support LGBTQ people and communities—and it must continue to implement this framework.
