COVID-19 Disparity Among LGBTQ, POC

According to a recent report by the Williams Institute, Americans who identify as queer people of color are disproportionality impacted by COVID-19 when compared to white, non-LGBTQ Americans.

This is one of many reports that have illustrated the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on different communities. For instance, leaders like Representative Leslie Herod worked to collect data and information to discover how racial identity correlates with COVID-19 hospitalization rates. While the new report presents data, the pattern reflects the same systemic problems that plague those with minority and intersectional identities. 

The report from the Williams Institute analyzed data collected by Axios-Ipsos from August 21 to December 21, 2020. The data found that Americans who identified as queer people of color were twice as likely to get coronavirus last fall when compared to white, non-LGBTQ Americans. Of those from the national sample of 12,450 adults, LGBTQ-POC saw the highest rate of positive COVID-19 tests at 14.5 percent. Meanwhile, white non-LGBTQ people had a positive COVID-19 test rate of 7.3 percent.

This trend was also evident in an analysis of the economic impact experienced by both groups. Fifteen percent of the LGBTQ-POC reported having recently lost their job, compared to 5.4 percent of white non-LGBTQ Americans. Additionally, over 26 percent of LGBTQ-POC reported increased difficulty paying rent, whereas this was the case for roughly 8 percent of white non-LGBTQ Americans.

Worth noting is that fewer LGBTQ were surveyed when compared to non-LGBTQ Americans. LGBTQ Americans also expressed higher concern for the pandemic and were more likely to get tested for COVID-19. However, the difference in concern and testing rates was not as significant as the difference in COVID-19 impact on those with intersectional identities. 

“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LGBT people cannot be fully understood without considering race and ethnicity as well as sexual orientation and gender identity,” the report concludes. “The impact of the pandemic on LGBT people—and LGBT people of color specifically—must be taken into account as the federal government seeks to restore trust in institutions responding to the public health crisis and to provide support to those most economically affected by COVID-19.”

Photo Courtesy of UCLA Williams Institute