19 million women would benefit from the Raise the Wage Act Problems viewing this email? View it in your web browser. [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

[[link removed]] The Right to Care For Our Loved Ones The United States continues to be the only industrialized nation without
permanent paid leave for all, and LGBTQ workers—women, people with disabilities,
and low-income people especially—often lack access to paid family leave. Now more than ever, our country desperately needs a comprehensive paid family
and medical leave policy—one that has an updated understanding of which
individuals count as family.
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The concept of "chosen family" is simple: Our ability to be cared for and
receive health care should not depend on the family we were born into or to whom
we share legal ties. Chosen family is particularly important for LGBTQ people.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents to a nationally representative Center for
American Progress survey of LGBTQ Americans reported that they would be most
likely to turn to a partner to whom they are not legally married for care if
they needed to take time off work for health-related reasons. CAP research also
found that one-third of LGBTQ individuals reported that they would be most
likely to rely on friends or chosen family members for care when they are sick.

Now that temporary COV1D-19 emergency paid leave has expired, 4 out of 5 workers
are left without any paid family leave, risking their health and economic
security. Expanding access to paid family and medical leave has always been
important, but it's even more critical during the simultaneous health and
economic crises of the coronavirus pandemic. To truly meet the needs of LGBTQ
individuals, a permanent paid leave policy must be designed to recognize the
diverse reality of families in America, regardless of blood or legal relation.

Read more on the case for chosen family in paid family and medical leave
policies.
[[link removed]] Reintroduction of the Equality Act
[[link removed]] With this week's reintroduction of the Equality Act, Congress has taken the
first step to codify the Supreme Court's landmark protections and update our
civil rights laws to expand protections for LGBTQ people as well as women,
people of color, and people of faith. The need is urgent, the support is strong, and President Biden has affirmed
that he is ready to sign this critical legislation into law. It is time for
Congress to pass the Equality Act.
[[link removed]] Related Stories
[[link removed]] Lessening the Pandemic's Burden on LGBTQ Workers and Families
[[link removed]] Compared with the general population, LGBTQ people are at greater risk of
experiencing economic insecurities due to disproportionate economic hardships,
such as higher rates of poverty and unemployment, greater food insecurity and
vulnerability to homelessness, and workforce discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity. These conditions and disparities predate the
pandemic, but they have also been exacerbated by it. Government responses to the
economic crisis must not leave LGBTQ workers and families behind.
[[link removed]] The Need for Targeted COVID-19 Relief In LGBTQ Communities
[[link removed]] Mitigating the pandemic's detrimental impact on the lives of LGBTQ people and
ensuring that the community is vaccinated will require a strategically
coordinated effort to implement policies in the areas of public health and
health care, among others. CAP provides recommendations for how all levels of
government can integrate targeted assistance for LGBTQ people throughout their
responses to this deadly pandemic, which is magnifying existing health
inequalities. 5 Ways To Include Student Voice in Education Policymaking
[[link removed]] In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, policymakers are trying to figure out how
best to educate students remotely, how and when to reopen schools, and how to
address the vast inequities exposed by the pandemic. One important voice that
has been largely missing in these discussions, however, is that of students, who
have had little to no say in the state of their own education.

To hear directly from students, CAP partnered with the student-led nonprofit
organization Student Voice in late 2020 to conduct a community conversation with
high schoolers from across the country.
[[link removed]] The discussion focused on the ways schools were not listening to them and how
they would like their voices to be included in future decision-making. Meet Nicole Rapfogel [[link removed]] Nicole is a research assistant for Health Policy at CAP, where she works on
issues ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to the Affordable Care Act. She's
passionate about health equity and health justice, and her past work has focused
especially on inequities in the mental health care system.

You can read Nicole's latest column on how Biden's coronavirus plan funds and
supports state vaccination efforts here.
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