State of Disabled LGBTQI+ People in 2024 Report Shows Higher Rates of Discrimination in Housing, Healthcare, Education, and Public Services

By Julie Walker, NLIHC National Campaign Coordinator 

This article uses identity-first language, which, according to this report, is increasingly preferred by many in the disability community. See the author’s note in the report for more details.

The Center for American Progress, an Opportunity Starts at Home campaign Roundtable member, released this month “The State of Disabled LGBTQI+ People in 2024,” which examines the experiences of LGBTQI+ people in the U.S. in accessing housing, public services, education, employment, and healthcare. The report finds that disabled LGBTQI+ people consistently reported worse outcomes across all five areas compared to both non-disabled LGBTQI+ people and disabled non-LGBTQI+ people. In addition, the report finds that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has negatively impacted the mental health of this population, with 59% of disabled LGBTQ+ people stating that the recent anti-LGBTQI+ bills make them feel unsafe. These findings indicate widespread inequities for disabled LGBTQI+ people and the critical need for equitable policy solutions.  

The report uses data from a 2024 survey of 3,360 U.S. adults conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC) to examine the experiences of LGBTQI+ people across five areas:  

• Housing discrimination and affordability
• Discrimination in public settings
• Discrimination in education
• Employment discrimination and economic insecurity
• Healthcare access and barriers to receiving care  

The report reveals that housing insecurity continues to be an urgent issue for disabled LGBTQI+ people. Disabled LGBTQI+ individuals were more likely to report being renters, and more likely to report receiving housing assistance or low-income energy assistance. Further, 14% of disabled LGBTQI+ people reported experiencing discrimination in a housing setting, a rate that is more than twice that of disabled non-LGBTI+ people and almost five times the rate of non-disabled non-LGBTQI+ people. The findings emphasize the intersectional impacts of disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity on housing insecurity for people with low incomes, and the need for inclusive housing policies and stronger tenant protections for disabled LGBTQI+ people.  

Disparate outcomes for LGBTQI+ adults were also found in educational environments, public spaces, employment settings, and health care settings. The survey data find that, in the year prior to completing the survey, 51% of disabled LGBTQI+ adults reported experiencing some form of discrimination in a public setting, a rate nearly double that of non-disabled LGBTQI+ adults and disabled non-LGBTQI+ adults. In every type of environment assessed, including public spaces like stores, restaurants, public bathrooms, and public transit; law enforcement interactions; and attempts to access government-funded services, disabled LGBTQI+ adults were found to experience equal or higher rates of discrimination than all other groups. More than 1 in 5—21% of—disabled LGBTQI+ adults reported experiencing discrimination in a school setting, which is more than double the rate reported by disabled non-LGBTQI+ adults and four times the rate reported by non-disabled and non-LGBTQI+ adults.  

Research shows that disabled and LGBTQI+ workers often have lower incomes than other households, and 33% of disabled LGBTQI+ adults reported a household income of less than $30,000 per year, more than double the rate of non-disabled LGBTQI+ adults. The authors suggest a connection between lower incomes and the employment discrimination faced by this population, as disabled LGBTQI+ people reported significantly higher rates of discrimination. Disabled LGBTQI+ adults also indicated that they were more likely to receive government social safety-net benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Disabled LGBTQI+ adults were slightly less likely to report receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) compared to disabled non-LGBTQI+ people, which may be due to the increased administrative burdens required to apply for these benefits. Barriers to healthcare access also remain an issue for this population, with 43% of disabled LGBTQI+ people reporting that they postponed or did not receive medical care because they could not afford it. Disabled LGBTQI+ people were also less likely to report having health insurance when compared to other groups and faced significant discrimination when attempting to receive health care.   

The report concludes with policy recommendations aimed at reducing disparities and promoting equity, including reestablishing protections curtailed by the Trump Administration, increasing public benefits like housing assistance, and expanding access to Medicaid. The authors also call for cross-sector collaboration in policymaking, stating that “ensuring full inclusion for disabled LGBTQI+ people requires bold, intersectional policymaking that centers those most affected and recognizes that equity cannot be achieved through a single-issue approach.” 

Read the report here.  

To learn more about the intersections between disability, LGBTQI+ equity, and affordable housing, read the OSAH fact sheets here.