STUDY: LGBT People of Color at Risk of Lifelong Poverty

Legal discrimination, lack of family recognition, and lack of safe educational environments put LGBT people of color at risk of lifelong poverty, says a report released today.

Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for LGBT People of Color examines the economic insecurity this group experiences, compared to white LGBT people and non-LGBT people of color. It is coauthored by the by the Movement Advancement Project and the Center for American Progress, in partnership with several other organizations.

The report details the discrimination that LGBT people of color face in employment, housing, health care, and other aspects of their lives. "Disproportionate numbers of LGBT people of color live in places that lack any explicit state-level protections for LGBT people," says Ineke Mushovic, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project. "This means that LGBT people of color face a high risk of economic harm from anti-LGBT laws. Based on the connection between poverty and an individual's race or ethnicity, many LGBT people of color are less able to absorb the financial penalties created by anti-LGBT laws when compared to white LGBT people."

Also, LGBT people of color are more likely to be raising children than white LGBT people, often in states without marriage equality or legal recognition of parenting ties, the report notes. And young LGBT people of color frequently encounter bullying or harassment in school, making it harder for them to obtain the type of education that can lead to better economic opportunities.

The report concludes with recommendations for addressing these problems. It is a companion to a larger report, Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for Being LGBT in America, released in September.

The findings of Paying an Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty for LGBT People of Color are summarized in the accompanying infographics. To read the full report, click here.

Partners in compiling the report were the Center for Community Change, Center for Popular Democracy, League of United Latin American Citizens, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Association of Social Workers, National Black Justice Coalition, National Education Association, and National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance.