Protect LGBTQ+ rights

Amidst attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals by many state and local governments across the country,[1] President Biden signed an Executive Order on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals on June 15, 2022.[2] The Executive Order directs federal agencies to take steps to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from unlawful discrimination and eliminate disparities that harm them and their families, including safeguarding health care access and suicide prevention programs and supporting LGBTQ+ children and families in the foster care system. The Executive Order is consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment. It also builds on the previous Executive Order of January 20, 2021, which extended the Bostock ruling to other federal laws that prohibit sex discrimination.[3]

Approximately two-thirds of LGBTQ+ people have reported experiencing discrimination in their lives, which can negatively impact their mental health, increasing their risk of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm.[4] According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), LGBTQ+ adults are more likely to experience mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD) than heterosexual adults.[5] LGBTQ+ youth are also at a higher risk of harassment, abuse, homelessness, and suicide.[6] Research has shown that lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals living in states with comprehensive legal protections have higher self-rated health than those in states without these protections. The federal government should use all tools at its disposal to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from these continued assaults.