Data from fall 2020 COVID-19 surge finds LGBT people of color disproportionately impacted by pandemic
Data from a nationally representative sample of adults collected by Axios-Ipsos between August and December 2020 finds that LGBT people—in particular LGBT people of color—have disproportionately experienced the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. Among those tested, an estimated 15% of LGBT people of color have tested positive for COVID-19, compared to 7% of non-LGBT white people. In addition, LGBT people of color are about twice as likely to have been laid off or furloughed from work and to struggle to pay for household goods compared to non-LGBT white adults.
Positive COVID-19 tests by LGBT status and race/ethnicity
HUD to enforce protections from LGBT discrimination in housing
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development became the first agency to comply with President Biden's non-discrimination executive order. The agency announced that it will begin enforcing the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Williams Institute research shows that LGBT people face widespread discrimination in housing, mortgage lending, and homeless shelters and services. LGBT people have higher rates of poverty, lower rates of homeownership, and higher rates of homelessness.
Protecting LGBT people from discrimination in credit
In late 2020, the Williams Institute filed a comment recommending that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau interpret the Equal Credit Opportunity Act—which prohibits creditors from discriminating against applicants based on race, religion, marital status, sex, and other characteristics—to also prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.
