“Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be able to participate fully in American life free from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity on the job; in housing; when shopping or getting services at restaurants, hotels, and other public places; and when accessing government programs and services. While there is widespread public support for making discrimination against LGBTQ people illegal, only a minority of states have laws that specifically protect LGBTQ people.” -ACLU
Examples of the Injustices that the LGBTQ+ community face:
Discrimination
Over 100 bills attacking transgender people have been introduced in state legislatures since 2020. (ACLU)
More than 1 in 3 LGBTQ Americans faced discrimination of some kind in the past year, including more than 3 in 5 transgender Americans. (CAP)
LGBTQIA+ people of color face heightened bigotry at the intersection of their race and their queerness by society at large
Violence
A record-breaking number of murders against trans people occurred in 2020 — the majority of whom were women of color.
The risk of sexual violence is also increased for trans people;
50% of transgender people have been sexually assaulted at least once in their life.
Gay Conversion Therapy
Only 8 states have banned this dangerous practice for minors.
Employment Discrimination
In most states, gay and trans individuals can be fired from their job on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Only 20 states and Washington DC have passed nondiscrimination laws.
Parenting
LGBTQ parents continue to face significant discrimination.
Transgender parents lose custody of their children at disproportionate rates simply because of their gender.
Only California prohibits discrimination for both sexual orientation and gender identity in adoptions.
Five states legally allow adoption agencies to deny adoption to a same sex couple because of their sexual orientation
Unequal Healthcare
15 percent of LGBTQ Americans report postponing or avoiding medical treatment due to discrimination, including nearly 3 in 10 transgender individuals.
In 37 states, insurance companies can discriminate based on sexual and gender identity.
Criminal Justice
16% of transgender adults have been in a prison or jail for any reason. This compares with 2.7% of all adults who have ever been in prison,3 and 10.2% of all adults who have ever been under any kind of criminal justice supervision, including probation.
Transgender women in men’s prisons were 13 times as likely to be sexually abused as other prisoners
Acceptance & Mental Health
About 40% of homeless youth in America identify as LGBTQ and often end up on the streets because they are rejected by their family members.
Discrimination adversely affects the mental and economic well-being of many LGBTQ Americans, including 1 in 2 who report moderate or significant negative psychological impacts.
41% of trans adults have reported attempting suicide, followed by 10% to 20% of LGB adults
Voting
A 2019 HRC Foundation survey found that fear of or experiencing discrimination led 22% of LGBTQ+ adults, 35% of LGBTQ+ adults of color, 49% of transgender adults, and 55% of transgender adults of color to avoid voting in at least one election in their lives.
(ACLU, n.d.; Global Citizen, 2017; HRC, n.d.; Mahowald, L., Gruberg, S., & Halpin, J., 2020; National Center for Lesbian Rights, n.d; National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2021;)
In addition to this these issues, The American Psychological Association has compiled a list of more policy issues that the LGBTQ+ community face, along with some references to find more information regarding each topic. You can read them HERE.
Historical Overview:
To understand the Anti-LGBTQ+ laws that have recently been passed or proposed, you can read some examples here:
Promises from the Biden Administration to advance LGBTQ+ Equality:
The Biden Administration stated it was committed to undoing the harm that previous administrations have caused in the pushing of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and discrimination. You can read more about these promises here.
Social Work Involvement:
The National Association of Social Workers have been forming partnerships and collaborations with many coalitions to work to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. You can find the list of coalition partners HERE.
The NASW has a National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer+ Issues. You can read more about this committee HERE.
References:
American Civil Liberties Union. (n.d.) Issues: Voting rights. https://www.aclu.org/issues/voting-rights
American Civil Liberties Union. (n.d.) Oppose Voter ID Legislation – fact sheet. https://www.aclu.org/fact-sheet/oppose-voter-id-legislation-fact-sheet
Global Citizen. (2017). 9 Battles The LGBTQ Community In The US Is Still Fighting. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/9-battles-the-lgbt-community-in-the-us-is-still-fi/
Human Rights Campaign (n.d.). John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. https://www.hrc.org/resources/voting-rights-advancement-act
Mahowald, L., Gruberg, S., & Halpin, J. (2020). The state of the LGBTQ community in 2020: A national public opinion study. The Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/LGBTQpoll-report.pdf
National Center For Lesbian Rights. (n.d.). Parenting. https://www.nclrights.org/our-work/relationships-family/parenting/
National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2021). Fact sheet on Injustice in the LGBTQ community. https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/fact-sheet-injustice-lgbtq-community