LGBT+ Americans Disproportionately Hit by Coronavirus Pandemic
COVID-19 has crushed a lot of souls in its lethal stampede across the globe, but for members of the LGBT+ community the pandemic has been particularly pernicious, exposing vulnerabilities that often bubble beneath the surface.
A report out Wednesday documents the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on LGTB+ households in the U.S., and the findings are sobering: greater economic upheaval, higher unemployment rates and deeper challenges in accessing health care, as ‘USA Today’ reports.
“What you are seeing is a reflection of disparities that existed prior to COVID being exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Logan Casey, policy researcher for the Movement Advancement Project, which produced the report based on a national poll from July and August.
Some of the report’s findings from the poll by NPR, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, show that 64% of LGBT+ households have experienced job losses vs. 45% of non-LGBT+ households and that 38% of LGBT+ households have been unable to get medical care or delayed going to a doctor for a serious problem vs. 19% of non-LGBT+ household.
Whats more, specific groups within the community face even greater challenges: Nearly all, or 95%, of Black LGBTQ respondents and 70% of Latinos indicated they or someone in their household experienced one or more serious financial problems.
The report notes that many LGBT+ adults are employed by industries devastated by COVID-19, said Naomi Goldberg, MAP policy research director.
“LGBTQ people are more likely to work in retail, restaurants, health care … all places where we have seen job cuts,” she said.
LGBT+ people are also more likely to live alone and lack a family support system, the report shows: 44% said they or someone in their home had a serious problem coping with social and physical isolation, compared with 23% of non-LGBT+ people.
“People across the nation are struggling,” Casey said, but the mental health repercussions for LGBTQ adults are “huge.”
Read related myGwork articles here:
Study Reveals Most Gay And Bi Men Hid COVID-19 Symptoms From Sexual Partners
Suicide Fears On The Rise In The LGBT+ Community During Lockdown
Four In Five LGBT+ People Say Their Mental Health Has Worsened During Lockdown, New Survey Reveals
New Survey Reveals That 57% Of LGBT+ People Think Their Lives Will Be Worse Off Due To Coronavirus
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