LGBTQ+ people belong everywhere. They deserve to live open, authentic lives without fear of discrimination, harassment, judgement, or violence. Despite decades of tireless advocacy, however, LGBTQ+ people still experience disproportionately worse health outcomes, endure ongoing discrimination, and are four times more likely to experience violence than their straight and cisgender peers. These disparities are often further compounded by isolation and a lack of access to appropriate primary and mental health care.
LGBTQ+ individuals who are Transgender, disabled, youth, and/or people of color are most impacted, with risk factors including:
- 50% of transgender people have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime
- 53% of transgender people have been harassed in a public place like a bathroom
- Transgender people are seven times more likely than cisgender people to experience violence from law enforcement
- White transgender people are twice as likely to be unemployed due to discrimination, while transgender people of color are four times more likely
- Ninety percent of transgender people have experienced harassment, mistreatment or discrimination in their workplaces
- LGBTQ+ youth are over five times more likely to die by suicide than their heterosexual, cisgender peers
A New Focus on Community Commons
The LGBTQ+ Health Equity Library highlights dozens of newly-curated resources and stories to advance equitable health outcomes for queer and gender expansive individuals, and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
As we have worked to expand and center LGBTQ+ content on Community Commons, some key themes have emerged:
- Proper pronoun use as healthcare
- Shifting dialogue from centering inclusion to centering health outcomes
- Sourcing and leveraging accurate LGBTQ+ demographic data
- Centering intersectional perspectives, especially BIPOC voices
- Disproportionate impacts on LGBTQ+ children, youth, and college students
- COVID-19 as a magnifier, emphasizing existing strengths and disparities
Get started with one of our introductory pieces above, or explore dozens of resources, datasets, maps, and stories–organized by resource type–below.