Poverty among LGBTQ+ Americans decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their rate is still higher than straight cisgender people, according to a report by the Williams Institute at the University of California. The proportion of LGBTQ+ people experiencing poverty dropped from 23% to 17%, while non-LGBTQ+ poverty fell from 16% to 12%. Lead author Bianca D.M. Wilson said the drop in poverty for non-LGBTQ+ people suggests the positive impact of stimulus programs. Future research should examine how access to social programs may contribute to differences in poverty among LGBT+ subgroups, Wilson added.
Poverty decreased for all subpopulations of LGBTQ+ people except cisgender lesbians, the report noted. Poverty rates were higher for people of color, both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+, at both time points, but there was a decline among all groups from 2020 to 2021. Study author M.V. Lee Badgett said addressing contributors to elevated rates of poverty among LGBTQ+ people is vital to reduce poverty among LGBTQ+ adults.
The report is an update to a 2019 version of “LGBT Poverty in the United States.” Researchers analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the US Census Household Pulse Survey to examine poverty rates among LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ people during the early days of the pandemic. The most notable declines in poverty were seen among transgender people (35% to 21%) and cisgender bisexual women (30% to 20%). The poverty rate for cisgender gay men dropped from 13% to 10%, while that for cisgender lesbians rose from 14% to 17%.