June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a time to celebrate and honor the LGBTQ+ community, as we advocate for a more inclusive society, where every person is free to be their full, authentic self. While progress has been made over the years, many LGBTQ+ Americans continue to experience discrimination in their personal lives, in the workplace, in health care, and in housing. In order to create a safer, more equitable world for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, we must bring attention to the reality of the challenges facing the community, as we work to mitigate barriers to equity.
Across the country, LGBTQ+ Americans still face significant risks to their rights and safety. In a 2023 Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month, The White House highlights some of the challenges currently facing LGBTQ+ Americans:
Today, our Nation faces another inflection point. In 2023 alone, State and local legislatures have already introduced over 600 hateful laws targeting the LGBTQI+ community. Books about LGBTQI+ people are being banned from libraries. Transgender youth in over a dozen States have had their medically necessary health care banned. Homophobic and transphobic vitriol spewed online has spilled over into real life, as armed hate groups intimidate people at Pride marches and drag performances, and threaten doctors’ offices and children’s hospitals that offer care to the LGBTQI+ community. Our hearts are heavy with grief for the loved ones we have lost to anti-LGBTQI+ violence.
In addition to the challenges already mentioned, LGBTQ+ Americans also face significant barriers to fair housing. Research suggests that same-sex couples may be less likely to receive mortgages due to lending discrimination, and often receive fewer responses to online inquiries about rental listings than heterosexual couples. Housing discrimination based on gender identity is also widespread. In fact, one in five transgender people in the United States has been discriminated against when seeking a home, and more than one in ten have been evicted from their homes, because of their gender identity. According to a 2022 survey of LGBTQIA+ elders conducted by AARP, nearly nine in ten transgender or nonbinary seniors fear both age and gender-based discrimination when seeking a home.
For LGBTQ+ people of color, those struggles are compounded. A 2020 study on Black LGBTQ People and Compounding Discrimination shows that nearly one-fifth (18%) of Black LGBTQ adults experienced sexual orientation-based discrimination in recent years while trying to rent or purchase a home. The same study also reveals that Black LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z adults were 79% more likely than Black LGBTQ+ Generation X adults and 163% more likely than Black LGBTQ+ Baby Boomers to have experienced sexual orientation-based housing discrimination.
While this is the unfortunate reality for many queer and trans people in the United States, fair housing law does offer some protections. In early 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order, ensuring that the Fair Housing Act would be enforced to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Executive Order addresses the Supreme Court’s 2020 landmark decision in Bostock v Clayton County, which held that discrimination against people based upon their sexual orientation or gender identity is sex discrimination. Increased support and funding for fair housing organizations and programs could strengthen enforcement efforts and ultimately lead to expanded protections.
Your support for LGBTQ+ rights is not only welcomed, but imperative for the future of LGBTQ+ Americans. Whether you’ve been advocating for LGBTQ+ equality for years, or you are just beginning to learn about these issues, your support is needed. There are numerous ways you can show up for the LGBTQ+ community, but we know it can feel overwhelming to get started. That’s why we’ve put together a list of some ideas to help you determine how you can best support the LGBTQ+ people in your life:
1. Attend LGBTQ+ events
Whether you show up to your local pride events, attend a drag performance, or shop at an LGBTQ-owned business, your support makes a difference.
2. Listen to LGBTQ+ people
If you do not identify as LGBTQ+, it is especially important for you to listen to the stories, perspectives, and ideas of LGBTQ+ friends or family members. After all, they know the reality of being queer in America better than anyone. Keep an open mind and take some time to listen, so that you might learn how to become a better ally.
3. Educate yourself
There are countless resources, websites, and organizations that you can turn to if you want to educate yourself on LGBTQ+ issues. For a good starting point, enroll in this free online course to learn more about fair housing protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
4. Make your voice heard
Don’t underestimate the power of making your voice heard. If you believe that all people deserve equitable access to resources and opportunities, speak out. Urge your elected officials to reject anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, advocate for expanded LGBTQ+ protections, and vote for the people and policies that will make the United States a more fair, inclusive, and equitable place to live.
5. Support LGBTQ+ organizations
If you’re not already familiar with local or national organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community, take some time to learn about a few organizations and consider getting involved. In Northeast Ohio, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland and the Fair Housing Center for Rights & Research are two organizations that offer services and support to LGBTQ+ individuals. Nationally, organizations like GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, and The Trevor Project also work to advance LGBTQ+ equity, inclusion, and acceptance. Whether you’re able to make a donation, volunteer, or spread the word about an organization’s work, your support is needed wherever you can give it.
The LGBTQ+ community isn’t some small percentage of people you’ll never come into contact with. More than 20 million U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+. They are our friends, parents, siblings, elders, teachers, clergy people, neighbors, and coworkers. LGBTQ+ people exist everywhere – and no matter how hard the anti-LGBTQ bigots in this country try to roll back their civil rights, the LGBTQ+ community is not going anywhere. Queer and trans people deserve the same rights as anyone else living in the United States. How will you contribute to the creation of a more loving and inclusive world?