Williams Institute@WilliamsPolicy

A think tank at UCLA Law dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.

 Los Angeles, CA
williamsinstitute.law.ucla.e…
Joined April 2012
The South is home to the largest population of adults and youth in the US who identify as transgender.
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Our new study finds 45,000 transgender youth are at risk of losing access to gender-affirming care because of proposed state bans. bit.ly/GACareBans
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An estimated 5.5% of the US adult population--about 14 million adults--identifies as LGBT. bit.ly/LGBTAdultPop
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We realized this morning that there was an error in our LGBT adult population estimates. A letter of apology from our Founding Executive Director @bradsears is below.
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We were honored to visit the White House on Tuesday morning to present @K_JeanPierre with the Williams Institute 2024 Trailblazer Award. We thank Karine for being a champion of LGBTQ visibility and voice throughout her career and an inspiration to the LGBTQ community.
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The Aloha State has joined the ranks. Hawaii has become the 8th US state to ban the gay and trans panic defense and the 5th state this year.
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There are an estimated 267,000 LGBT-identified individuals among the adult undocumented immigrant population, approximately 2.7 percent.
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300,000 transgender people could be adversely affected by bills introduced in 15 states. tinyurl.com/hg3fusx
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On #TransVisibilityDay, a little reminder that 1.4 million adults (and 150,000 youth) in the US identify as transgender.
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It's #transweek and we're sharing the facts.
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NEW STUDY: An estimated 144,500 trans youth in the U.S. have lost or are at risk of losing access to gender-affirming care due to state bans and policies. bit.ly/TransGAbans
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One in every 137 American teenagers identify as transgender, report states s.masslive.com/Sz9gkAc
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Utah has become the 19th state to ban conversion therapy on youth.
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Transgender inmates are 10x more likely than cisgender inmates to experience assault. bzfd.it/2rD7kGk

The Trump Administration Just Rolled Back Rules That Protect Transgender Prisoners

The Bureau of Prisons is making the change after four evangelical Christian women in a Texas prison sued.

buzzfeednews.com
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Violence against transgender people is still not included in federal surveys of the U.S. population. #tdor
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Remember this no.: 1.4 million Updated no. of transgender people in the US per our new study williamsinstitute.law.ucla.e…
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There are 272,000 LGBT American Indian or Alaska Native adults in the US, 46% of whom are mixed ancestry. #IndigenousPeoplesDay
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.@LaverneCox says we can't help transgender and gender nonconforming people if we don't even count them: mashable.com/2015/09/28/lave…
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Hawaii just became the 12th state in the US to ban conversion therapy for LGBT youth.
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BREAKING - MS HB 1523 blocked. WI Faculty Director & UCLA Law Prof Douglas NeJaime had testified as expert witness cbsnews.com/news/mississippi…
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Over 15,000 transgender people are actively serving in the U.S. military and 163,000 transgender people are veterans.
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Delaware just became the 14th state (+D.C.) to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth.
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.@NC_Governor Roy Cooper just signed an executive order protecting LGBT youth from conversion therapy.
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4.5% of the US population identifies as LGBT. Washington, DC has the highest percentage of LGBT residents (9.8%). North Dakota has the lowest (2.7%)
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4.1 million LGBT workers live in the 28 states that do not have statutes prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. #LaborDay2019
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Virginia just became the 20th state to ban conversion therapy on LGBT youth.
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#Texas is home to 19,600 #transgender adults aged 18 to 24, and thousands of transgender youth under 18. #SB6 shar.es/1DQEF5
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Failed HB2 Repeal: When LGBTQ Rights Put Money Over People, No One Profits out.com/news-opinion/2017/4/…
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There are 285,000 LGBT American Indians and Alaskan Natives in the U.S. #IndigenousPeoplesDay2020 bit.ly/LGBTAIAN
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1.2 million LGBTQ adults in the US identify as nonbinary. The majority use queer, bisexual, pansexual, or asexual to describe their sexual orientation. bit.ly/NonbinaryLGBTQ #nonbinaryawarenessweek
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Washington just became the 10th state in the US to ban conversion therapy. bit.ly/2utL4Tp
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Our new report finds over 378,000 transgender citizens could face barriers to voting at the polls in 2020. bit.ly/VoterID20
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LGBTQ college students are almost twice as likely as their non-LGBTQ peers to experience bullying, harassment, or assault at school. The most frequent perpetrators are other students (78%), followed by faculty, staff, coaches, and administrators (14%). bit.ly/LGBTQ4yrcollege
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Today's ruling protects 8.1 million LGBT workers from discrimination at work based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/ga…

Civil Rights Law Protects Gay and Transgender Workers, Supreme Court Rules (Published 2020)

The court said the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex discrimination, applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

nytimes.com
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Just a reminder, there are an estimated 591,000 married same-sex couples in the US. on.mktw.net/2YYgkFz

A lesson from the Hallmark debacle: Ignore LGBTQ consumers at your own peril

Zola said it will ‘be in touch with Hallmark in the coming days regarding a potential return to advertising.’

marketwatch.com
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California is home to nearly 15% of all LGBT adults in the US. It is important that we have data on the impact of COVID-19 on the LGBT population in order to develop interventions that address their specific combination of needs. - @KathyONeill15 bit.ly/2BGfplX
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Approximately 11.3 million adults in the U.S. identify as LGBT. The majority are women. Learn more in our Data Interactive: bit.ly/WILGBTData
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An estimated 1.4 million adults and 150,000 youth in the US identify as transgender. #TransAwarenessWeek
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Yesterday, Massachusetts became the 16th state (plus DC) to ban conversion therapy on LGBT youth!
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Know the stats. More research on the transgender population is sorely needed. #tdov #transdayofvisibility
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5.5% of US adults--13.9 million people--identify as LGBT. More than half of them live in the Midwest (21%) and South (36%). bit.ly/LGBTAdultPop
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One in 5 LGBT people in the US lives in poverty. bit.ly/LGBTPovertyUS
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LGBT people are nearly 4X more likely to experience violent victimization, compared to non-LGBT people. bit.ly/sgmviolence
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There are 1.2 million LGBTQ nonbinary adults in the US with a variety of sexual orientations. bit.ly/NonbinaryLGBTQ #nonbinaryawarenessweek
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DATA IN REVIEW: 4.5% of the US population is LGBT. Washington D.C. has the highest percentage (9.8%) of LGBT people. North Dakota has the lowest (2.7%). bit.ly/WIdata18
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New Study: 28% of homeless youth in Atlanta are LGBT thegavoice.com/georgia-state…
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"It is important that we resist the outdated and stereotypical belief that LGBT people are not religious and recognize that this is a conflict between one religious group and another." - @Sears_Brad @TheAdvocateMag bit.ly/31xNmz0
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The South is home to the largest population of LGBT adults in the US. bit.ly/LGBTPopUS
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On #TransDayOfVisibility, some good news. All transgender youth in the Northeast live in a state that has a law protecting their access to gender-affirming care, a ban on conversion therapy, or both.
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LGBT adults represent a substantial voting bloc. An estimated 5.5% of adults in the U.S. -- 13.9 million people -- identify as LGBT. bit.ly/LGBTpopUS
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We were so excited to have our Development Director Jason Rizzi and Senior Fellow and Director of International Programs @arimshaw representing the Williams Institute at the White House 2024 Pride Celebration yesterday.
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Half of all LGBT workers in the U.S. are not out to their supervisors. More than 1/4 are not out to any co-workers. bit.ly/LGBTworkplace
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The South is home to the largest population of transgender youth aged 13-17 in the US. Approximately 85% of them live in a state with at least one anti-transgender law. #TDOV
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Connecticut and Maine became the fifth and sixth US states to ban the gay and trans panic defense.
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Transgender people are over 4X more likely than cisgender people to experience violent victimization, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault. bit.ly/transvictimized
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On the 20th anniversary of the bisexual pride flag, we’d like to remind you that bisexual people make up more than half of the LGB community. gaystarnews.com/article/flag…
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Our new study found an increase in happiness and life satisfaction among LGBT people after Obergefell to a level similar to non-LGBT people. bit.ly/happyObergefell
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LGBTQ college students are significantly more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to face bullying, harassment, or assault at school. bit.ly/LGBTQ4yrcollege
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We are honored to award our Community Partner Award to @ColombiaDiversa and @marcela_s_b for your decades of work on LGBTQ rights in Colombia.
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"The Williams Institute is the premier LGBTQ research institute of our time." Thank you for support and tireless work @shannonminter5 @nclrights #Williams20th
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Just a reminder, LGBT adults are 1.6 times more likely than non-LGBT adults to not have had enough money for food at some point in the past year. #SNAP nyti.ms/33MzbUR

Hundreds of Thousands Are Losing Access to Food Stamps (Published 2019)

The Agriculture Department gave its final approval to the first of three rules that are ultimately expected to cut more than three million from the food stamp rolls.

nytimes.com
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On #BiVisibilityDay, keep in mind that 37% of LGBTQ people identify as bisexual in the US. buff.ly/44SpALF
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BREAKING: The CDC will roll back data collection on #LGBT health and well-being. williamsinstitute.law.ucla.e…
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We are sad to announce that our founder Chuck Williams passed away last Wednesday night. We will remember him for his staggering generosity, personal warmth, and undying commitment to making the world a better place for LGBTQ people. Read more at bit.ly/Chuck_Williams
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An estimated 0.7% of youth ages 13 to 17, or 150,000 youth, identify as transgender in the US. nbcnews.to/2R1fcAc
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LGB young people in the U.S. come out at an earlier age than previous generations. #NationalComingOutDay
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NEW STUDY: gender identity inclusive nondiscrimination laws do not jeopardize safety in public restrooms. @BostonGlobe bit.ly/2NEAIse

Study finds no link between transgender rights law and bathroom crimes - The Boston Globe

bostonglobe.com
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Twice as many LGBTQ students as non-LGBTQ students chose to attend a college elsewhere to get away from their families. bit.ly/LGBTQ4yrcollege
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Many LGBTQ people protect themselves from discrimination and harassment by not being out at work. Our recent study found half of LGBTQ workers weren't out to their supervisors. bit.ly/LGBTworkplace #Comingoutday
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BREAKING: Kentucky has just become the 28th state plus DC to ban the practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ youth. Nearly 700,000 LGBT adults in the US have undergone conversion therapy, and 350,000 of them were subjected to the practice as adolescents. bit.ly/CT_LGBT
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Our upcoming study confirms that the majority of LGBT adults in the US identify as bi+. #BiWeek bit.ly/3mwvzBa

Being bisexual can impact your mental health. Here's what you can do about it.

Why are bi people more likely to be anxious or depressed?

mashable.com
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Our new study shows countries that are highly accepting of LGBTI people tend to have high levels of liberal democracy, higher GDP per capita, and larger populations living in urban areas. bit.ly/GAIdemocracy @AstraeaUpdates @ArcusLGBT @sida @FandMcollege @GAC_Corporate
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Vermont just joined the ranks as the 13th state in the U.S. to ban the use of the gay and trans panic defense.
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Thank you to all who joined us for our 22nd Annual Update on Friday. It was an honor to recognize the impact of @SpeakerPelosi, who reminded us that "in the history of our country, liberty has always expanded." Today and every day, we are proud to be a part of that expansion.
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New study: 20,000 #LGBT teens will receive conversion therapy by a health care professional before turn 18. @TrevorProject @nytimes nyti.ms/2DC2wct
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More than 58,000 transgender youth are currently at risk of losing access to gender-affirming care due to proposed and enacted state bans and policies. bit.ly/TransGAbans
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About 32% of LGBTQ people with federal student loans owe less than $10,0000. bit.ly/LGBTQloans
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14 states have new voting restrictions for the 2016 election read.bi/2dAb2Jm via @bi_politics
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Our new report finds LGBQ people are 6X more likely than the general public to be stopped by police. bit.ly/LGBQPolice
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An estimated 1.2 million Black LGBT adults live in the U.S. Just over half of them live in the South. bit.ly/WIBlackLGBT
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LGBT adults in the US are nearly twice as likely to face food insecurity compared to straight adults.
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Sexual and gender minorities are heavily impacted by the attitudes and beliefs of those around them. More acceptance leads to better outcomes and a better quality of life for LGBT people. - @DrAndrewFlores nbcnews.to/32ORmbU

LGBTQ acceptance grew globally over past four decades — but not everywhere

Most of the 174 countries analyzed experienced an increase in acceptance since 1981, though 16 showed a decline.

nbcnews.com
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Take a look at our spiffy new interactive of LGBTQ-relevant data from the Generations and TransPop studies. You can filter by SOGI subgroups (LBQ cis women, GBQ cis men, transgender people, and all LGBTQ people): bit.ly/LGBTQUSdata
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ICYMI: Yesterday, Virginia became the 12th state in the US--and first in the South--to ban the use of the gay and trans panic defense.
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Establishing that 11% of the LGBTQ community currently identifies as nonbinary is important because that knowledge can help inform a range of policies that protect LGBTQ people. - @BiancaDMW to.pbs.org/3jUgx9s

Why a first-of-its-kind count of nonbinary adults is crucial to our understanding of LGBTQ commun...

There are about 1.2 million LGBTQ people in the U.S. who are nonbinary, according to a first-of-its-kind study released last week by the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute.

pbs.org
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LGBT people are nearly four times more likely to experience violent victimization compared to non-LGBT people. bit.ly/violenceSGM
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An estimated 1.2 million LGBTQ people in the US identify as nonbinary. Many face economic instability: 68% report not having enough money to make ends meet and 43% live in low-income households. bit.ly/NonbinaryLGBTQ #NonBinaryPeoplesDay
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An estimated 37% of all LGBTQ people in the US identify as bisexual. More than half of LBQ women do. #BiVisibilityDay
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ICYMI: This week, Minnesota became the 25th state + DC to have a law or policy banning the use of conversion therapy on LGBTQ minors.
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HIV criminalization refers to criminal laws that make something a person does illegal because of their HIV status. On #HIVisNotaCrime Awareness Day, Nathan Cisneros gives you 5 things you need to know about these laws.
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Approximately 38,000 transgender adults enrolled in Medicaid live in states with bans on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care. bit.ly/MedicaidLGBT
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1.4 million adults in the US identify as transgender. The proposed definition of sex is a gratuitous effort to inflict harm on a vulnerable population and a threat to the privacy of all Americans. - Jocelyn Samuels nyti.ms/2OEYTrV
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78,000 transgender people could be disenfranchised in the upcoming midterms because they lack government-issued IDs that match their gender identity #NationalVoterRegistrationDay
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The upcoming SCOTUS decisions will determine whether 8.1 million LGBT workers in the US are protected under federal law if they face discrimination at work. #TitleVII #DecisionDay
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Our recent study found 1/3 of LGBTQ people of color received little or no info about college applications from HS counselors and teachers. More than 1/3 received little or no info about college entrance exams (41%) or letters of recommendation (48%). time.com/6291182/affirmative…

Supreme Court Rules Against Race-Based Affirmative Action

The Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious college admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional.

time.com
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Maine just became the 17th state (+DC) to ban conversion therapy on LGBT youth.
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Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour would lower the proportion of male same-sex couples living in poverty by 1/3 and female same-sex couples by almost 1/2. bit.ly/2SkXzc4

Why Raising the Minimum Wage Is a Critical LGBTQ Issue

Raising the minimum wage to $15 would decrease poverty by 46 percent among female same-sex couples and by 35 percent among male same-sex couples, writes NCLR's Tyrone Hanley.

advocate.com
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Our 2020 study found non-transgender LGBQ people who underwent conversion therapy were almost twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who hadn't. bloom.bg/3CpEyfB

Trauma From LGBTQ Conversion Therapy Costs U.S. $9 Billion Annually

Expenses from treating indirect effects like anxiety, depression or suicide attempts accounted for the majority of the costs, a study found.

bloomberg.com
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51% of all LGBT workers in the U.S. live in places without state-level protections from employment discrimination. #EqualityAct bit.ly/WIEqAct
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