Some key findings on discrimination and employment:

• The unemployment rate was 14% among Black LGBTQ adults who experienced sexual orientation-based discrimination while applying to a job or at work in the last three years.
• The unemployment rate was 23% among Black transgender survey respondents who experienced gender identity-based discrimination while applying to a job or at work in the last three years.
• These unemployment rates are clearly higher than the national rate of 6% and the Black national rate of 10%, according to recent estimates.

Some key findings on discrimination and healthcare:

• One-fifth (19%) of Black LGBTQ adults reported racial discrimination in the last three years while receiving healthcare.
• 15% of Black LGBTQ adults experienced sexual orientation-based discrimination in the last three years while receiving healthcare.
• 30% of Black transgender adults experienced gender identity-based discrimination in the last three years while receiving healthcare.

Some key findings on discrimination and housing:

• The homeownership rate was 22% among Black LGBTQ adults who experienced sexual orientation-based discrimination while trying to purchase a home in the last three years.
• The homeownership rate was 28% for Black transgender adults who experienced gender identity-based discrmination while trying to purchase a home in the last three years.
• All of these rates were well below the U.S. homeownership rates of 66% for all households and 45% for Black households in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Some key findings on discrimination and homelessness:

• The lifetime homelessness rate was 40% among Black LGBTQ adults who experienced sexual orientation-based discrimination in the last three years as they attempted to rent or purchase a home, and 68% among Black transgender adults who experienced gender identity-based discrimination.
• These rates above are much higher than the estimated national lifetime homelessness rates in the United States of 6% for all adults and 17% for Black adults.

Some key findings on discrimination and public accomodations:

• 24% of Black LGBTQ adults experienced sexual orientation-based discrimination as a customer in a store, bar or restaurant in the last three years.
• 46% of Black transgender adults experienced gender identity-based discrimination as a customer in a store, bar or restaurant in the last three years.

The data analyzed in this report shows that discrimination against Black LGBTQ people is a real and ongoing threat to their lives and livelihoods. The discrimination that Black LGBTQ people face is a function of the stigma, lack of legal protections, erasure of Black LGBTQ identities, bias, rejection and violence the community faces in daily life. These challenges, which are often rooted in inaccurate beliefs and politically-motivated attacks, erect barriers in virtually every facet of Black LGBTQ people’s lives, denying them the equal opportunity to succeed and be accepted for who they are.

State and federal officials have many tools at their disposal to begin addressing systemic racism head on, including reshaping state budgets and creating task forces to promote genuine equity for Black and LGBTQ communities across a range of issues — from policing to employment, housing, education and more.

The report also includes a section highlighting effective solutions along with brief guidance on how individuals, organizations and governing bodies can level these recommendations, including:

• Eliminate stigma and violence against Black and LGBTQ people.
• Create and advocate for entities that will work to eliminate racism, homophobia and transphobia.
• Support laws and policies that prohibit discrimination against people for their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or any other marginalized identity.
• Communities must be inclusive of and allow for the leadership of Black LGBTQ people in education, work, healthcare and all parts of society.

HRC’s analysis uses an intersectional statistical model, a process for analyzing the data in a way that accounts for the multiple identities of Black LGBTQ people in addition to their race, sexual orientation or gender identity. It allows for the analysis to determine the rate of discrimination reported by similar survey respondents based on the product of their specific generation, gender, connection to their local communities and many other factors.

The survey was led by Community Marketing & Insights and the Center for Black Equity in October 2020, and supported by the Human Rights Campaign, AARP, Freddy Mac, Wilson Media and numerous Black LGBTQ media outlets. This report was sponsored by AARP. In addition, this report and HRC Foundation’s efforts to combat racism is made possible with the support of: Anonymous, Assurant Foundation, Baxter International Foundation, BBVA, Carlson Company and the Carlson Family Foundation, Cisco Systems, Inc., The Coca Cola Company, David Bohnett Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Google, Gucci America, Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Levi Strauss & Co., MetLife Foundation, The Morningstar Foundation, Norton LifeLock, Inc. (through Silicon Valley Community Foundation), Open Society Foundations, PVH, Rockefeller Foundation, State Farm, The TJX Companies, T-Mobile, Toyota, UPS Foundation, Inc., U. S. Bank, Vanguard Group Foundation, Verizon, ViiV Healthcare and Zendesk.

The Human Rights Campaign reports on news, events and resources of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that are of interest to the general public and further our common mission to support the LGBTQ community.