{"id":3251,"date":"2020-08-04T19:36:16","date_gmt":"2020-08-05T00:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tuvmag.com\/?p=3251"},"modified":"2020-08-04T19:37:48","modified_gmt":"2020-08-05T00:37:48","slug":"3251","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tuvmag.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/04\/3251\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Is Quietly Ravaging The LGBTQ Community"},"content":{"rendered":"<header id=\"masthead\" class=\"site-header ast-primary-submenu-animation-slide-down header-main-layout-1 ast-primary-menu-enabled ast-logo-title-inline ast-menu-toggle-icon ast-mobile-header-inline ast-above-header-enabled ast-above-header-section-separated ast-below-header-enabled ast-below-header-section-separated ast-above-header-mobile-stack ast-below-header-mobile-stack\">\n<div class=\"main-header-bar-wrap\">\n<div data-stick-support=\"on\" data-stick-maxwidth=\"1349\" data-stick-gutter=\"0\">\n<div class=\"main-header-bar ast-sticky-active ast-sticky-shrunk ast-header-sticked\">\n<div 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href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/covid-19-is-quietly-ravaging-the-lgbtq-community\/#\">Search<\/a>COVID-19 is quietly ravaging the LGBTQ community<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"site-content\">\n<div class=\"ast-container\">\n<div id=\"primary\" class=\"content-area primary\">\n<article id=\"post-4244\" class=\"post-4244 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-covid-19 category-health-equity category-older-adults tag-covid-19 tag-earl-fowlkes tag-older-adults ast-article-single\">\n<div class=\"ast-post-format- single-layout-1\">\n<header class=\"entry-header \">\n<div class=\"ast-single-post-order\">\n<div class=\"entry-meta\"><span class=\"posted-on\"><span class=\"published\">July 21, 2020<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\/\u00a0<span class=\"cat-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/category\/covid-19\/\" rel=\"category tag\">COVID-19<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/category\/health-equity\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Health Equity<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/category\/social-equity\/older-adults\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Older Adults<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-thumb-img-content post-thumb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/african-american-woman-in-medical-mask-on-gray-background-4177607-1024x683.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/african-american-woman-in-medical-mask-on-gray-background-4177607-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/african-american-woman-in-medical-mask-on-gray-background-4177607-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/african-american-woman-in-medical-mask-on-gray-background-4177607-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/centerforblackequity.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/african-american-woman-in-medical-mask-on-gray-background-4177607.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"African American Woman in medical mask\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content clear\">\n<h5><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/civil-rights\/508359-covid-19-is-quietly-ravaging-the-lgbtq-community\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">From The Hill by David Johns and Earl Fowlkes Jr.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2679\" src=\"http:\/\/tuvmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_0622.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tuvmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_0622.png 200w, https:\/\/tuvmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_0622-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/tuvmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG_0622-160x160.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A growing body of research is showing that Black people are being hit disproportionately hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a lack of LGBTQ-inclusive data designed to capture the experiences of people who are both racial and sexual minorities renders many of us invisible \u2014 and puts us at even greater risk of harm.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s growing reason to worry that the pandemic is also particularly dangerous for diverse members of the LGTBQ and same gender loving (SGL), the affirming term some members of the Black community use to define themselves, particularly if they\u2019re older. Unfortunately, there\u2019s no way to know for sure because the government isn\u2019t yet collecting the kind of detailed data that would show the extent of the problem \u2014 or provide a roadmap for mitigating the risks the disease poses to LGBTQ Americans who are already marginalized, discriminated against, and otherwise punished simply for being who they are.<\/p>\n<p>Compounding the challenge of data collection is the Trump Administration\u2019s call to force hospitals to report data to an HHS contractor instead of the Center for Disease Control, creating further\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/07\/14\/us\/politics\/trump-cdc-coronavirus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">opaqueness around COVID-19 data collection<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The limited data that we do have on the LGBTQ community offers a disturbing snapshot of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has on our communities. For one, there\u2019s the economic toll.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/davidrae\/2020\/04\/20\/lgbtq-finances-are-at-risk-amidst-covid-19-pandemic\/#7c1d0ee49af4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Two in five<\/a>\u00a0LGBTQ people work in the five industries most impacted by the pandemic \u2014 food service, hospitals, K-12 education, colleges, and retail \u2014 compared to just one in five non-LGBTQ people, according to a survey from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. All told, more than 5 million LGBTQ workers in these industries could be significantly affected by the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers are even worse for LGBTQ\/SGL people of color. Among this group,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/assets2.hrc.org\/files\/assets\/resources\/COVID_19_EconImpact-CommunitiesColor052020d.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">38 percent<\/a>\u00a0have had their work hours reduced, compared to 34 percent of the general population, according to the HRC. And 22 percent have become unemployed during the pandemic, versus 13 percent of the general population.<\/p>\n<p>These job losses are even more dangerous in light of how many LGBTQ people already lived in poverty before COVID-19 struck. One 2019\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/National-LGBT-Poverty-Oct-2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">analysis<\/a>\u00a0from the Williams Institute found that 22 percent of LGBTQ adults \u2014 including an alarming 29 percent of transgender adults \u2014 live in poverty, compared to 16 percent of straight and cisgender peers.<\/p>\n<p>LGBTQ Americans also frequently lack reliable access to health care \u2014 a literal life-and-death danger in the midst of a pandemic. A national survey conducted by the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanprogress.org\/issues\/lgbtq-rights\/news\/2018\/01\/18\/445130\/discrimination-prevents-lgbtq-people-accessing-health-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Center for American Progress found<\/a>\u00a0that 29 percent of transgender adults had been refused care. Nine percent of LGBTQ people reported that a physician had used harsh or abusive language while treating them.<\/p>\n<p>Many older members of the LGBTQ community also lack the support systems that others rely on as they age, particularly when health issues emerge. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/content\/dam\/aarp\/research\/surveys_statistics\/life-leisure\/2018\/maintaining-dignity-lgbt.doi.10.26419%252Fres.00217.001.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0AARP found that over 75 percent of older LGBTQ people\u00a0<\/a>were concerned about having adequate family or social support to rely on as they age. AARP data reveals that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/research\/topics\/life\/info-2018\/maintaining-dignity-lgbt.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">46 percent<\/a>\u00a0of gay men 45 and older live alone. LGBTQ seniors are also less likely to have adult children to look out for them, in part due to a slew of laws deliberately designed to prevent LGBTQ people from forming legally-recognized families or adopting children.<\/p>\n<p>Yet we still don\u2019t have nearly the full picture of how COVID-19 is impacting LGBTQ communities \u2014 in large part because local and federal policymakers simply aren\u2019t collecting data on this group. So it\u2019s easy for policymakers to ignore these Americans \u2014 and for the plight of the LGBTQ community to go unnoticed. It\u2019s time to ensure COVID-19 data is disaggregated by sexual orientation and gender identity \u2014\u00a0 in addition to race, ethnicity, and other factors. That is why we joined a coalition of civil rights and health equity groups called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wemustcount.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">We Must Count<\/a>\u00a0calling for the collection and release of COVID-19 demographic data because we know that when communities are invisible in the data, they are also invisible in interventions and resources.<\/p>\n<p>And beyond COVID-19, we must continue to boost our data collection efforts. There are too few federal surveys with data on sexual orientation and gender identity.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/topics\/families\/same-sex-couples\/surveys-programs.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Counting same-sex couples in a limited number of U.S. Census Bureau surveys is not enough<\/a>. Without necessary inclusion, our COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts will miss those who need it the most.<\/p>\n<p>LGBTQ Americans \u2014 especially Black, Brown, and older LGBTQ\/SGL people \u2014 have endured strenuous economic and health hurdles for far too long. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these issues. It is imperative to collect data on how COVID-19 is impacting these communities. And we must ensure that LGBTQ\/SGL people are counted for years to come.<\/p>\n<p><em>David J. Johns serves as the<a href=\"https:\/\/thegrio.com\/2017\/09\/13\/david-johns-named-executive-director-of-black-justice-coalition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0executive director<\/a>\u00a0of the National Black Justice Coalition, the nation\u2019s leading civil rights organization dedicated to Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving (<a href=\"https:\/\/thegrio.com\/2018\/03\/30\/five-ways-to-create-more-inclusive-spaces-for-the-trans-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LGBTQ<\/a>) people.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Earl Fowlkes, Jr. serves as the President\/CEO of the Center For Black Equity, Inc., the only Black LGBT international organization in the world.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; SearchCOVID-19 is quietly ravaging the LGBTQ community July 21, 2020\u00a0\/\u00a0COVID-19,\u00a0Health Equity,\u00a0Older Adults From The Hill by David Johns and Earl Fowlkes Jr. A growing body of research is showing that Black people are being hit disproportionately hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a lack of LGBTQ-inclusive data designed to capture the experiences of people <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,82],"tags":[218,477,945,946,214,86,932,50],"class_list":["post-3251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-news","category-hivaids","tag-black-lives-matter","tag-cdc","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-19-and-the-lgbtq-community","tag-lgbtq-community","tag-msm","tag-the-center-for-black-equity","tag-translivesmatter"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.2.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"LGBTQ+ communities may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. 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