The LGBTQIA+ community has faced centuries of mistreatment by those in authority in the church, state and medical field. Today, they continue to experience barriers when it comes to healthcare, housing, and employment. This is especially true for individuals who are both a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and who identify as a person of color. According to a Human Rights Campaign Foundation analysis, “LBGTQ+ workers earn about 90 cents for every dollar the typical worker earns.” And this disparity grows when you look at data from LGBTQ+ Black workers (80 cents) and LGBTQ+ Native American workers (70 cents).

LGBTQIA+ community members are also more likely to experience hate crimes. In 2021, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program found that 1,707 hate crimes committed that year (15.9% of hate crimes nationally) were motivated by bias against the victim’s sexual orientation, with another 342 (3.2%) motivated by bias against the victim’s gender identity. While LGBTQIA+ rights and legislation in 2015 legalized same-sex marriage for couples, laws throughout the U.S. still limit LGTBQIA+ rights.

LGBTQIA+ terms defined here.