Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David Reacts to the U.S. Surpassing 300,000 COVID-19 Deaths

by HRC Staff •

Post submitted by Viet Tran (he/him/they/them), former HRC Press Secretary

HRC's research with PSB Insights shows LGBTQ people have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The United States reached a grim milestone of surpassing 300,000 deaths caused by COVID-19.

When the pandemic began, it was the responsibility of our elected leaders to take real action to avoid the needless deaths of people in this country. The Trump-Pence administration’s response has been an abject failure. They should have trusted the scientists and developed a plan to do more to ease the suffering of people across the country. Today, we recognize the grim truth that the administration’s botched handling of the pandemic has now led to over 300,000 people losing their lives.

Each and every day we have seen Black and Brown people bear the impact of this virus and we have seen LGBTQ people face particularly dauting economic hardships as the economy has struggled to recover from an ongoing public health crisis. With the holidays around the corner, Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell must put our country first and work with Speaker Pelosi to swiftly pass comprehensive COVID-19 relief to provide unemployment aid, fund vaccine distribution and ensure we support our health care workers, first responders and other frontline workers who have risked their lives to save lives. Trump and McConnell need to stop playing games with our lives.

Alphonso David, President of the Human Rights Campaign

It is impossible to know how many LGBTQ people have contracted the virus, as many states do not collect data on sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has long called for LGBTQ-inclusive data collection in order to understand the full impact of health crises, like COVID-19, on the community. assistance.

HRC, in partnership with PSB Insights, has been tracking the economic impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ community. Key findings include:

  • The LGBTQ population is 20% more likely than the general population to have experienced a reduction in work hours since some states initiated reopening policies.
  • LGBTQ people of color are 44% more likely and transgender people are 125% more likely than the general population to have had a reduction in work hours since some states initiated reopening policies.
  • The LGBTQ population is 30% more likely than the general population to have lost their jobs since some states initiated reopening policies due to COVID-19.
  • LGBTQ people of color are 70% more likely and bisexual people are 80% more likely than the general population to have lost their jobs since some states initiated reopening policies due to COVID-19.

HRC has also launched a way for people to record a message of love, loss or support to share with the HRC community as part of COVID-19 National Day of Remembrance on October 4. To record a message, text “COVID” to 472-472 (Msg&data rates may apply. Recurring msgs. txtSTOP2quit. HELP4info).

Read our full reports on the impact of reopening and the economic effects of COVID-19 on LGBTQ people, LGBTQ people of color, transgender people and Black LGBTQ people on HRC’s website.

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Topics:
Federal Advocacy