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Religion's role in enforcing social control, or more specifically, oppression over the course of history---is a well-known fact. Religion has affected the experiences of queer people through law, whether it be through policies or criminalization in the past for most countries. Or, by how families treat their LGBTQIA+ children. Like this video highlights, a lot of fundamentalist religious households are incredibly unaccepting, and from that, disown their children or try to "fix" them through conversion therapy. While this does not speak for every religious household, but it is worth bringing up the shadow that has been cast on the queer community for centuries regarding religion as an institution. Refusing to legalize marriage for a same-sex couple, refusing to offer gender-affirming care for trans and intersex people under the reasoning of it "going against the doctors religious beliefs"---the list goes on. Even in terms of reproductive care in general. However, as this video also notes, this doesn't mean that queer people disregard their faith, or that they should. Rather that, modern day queer people are rejecting traditional and rigid structures of religion, and taking it for what it should be at its core always, love. This speaks to the queer communities strength despite constantly being met with more walls to break down.

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LGBTQ People Discuss Their Experience With Religion | Taboo | Refinery29

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Harassment of LGBTQIA+ people in education

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Harassment of LGBTQIA+ people in education

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LGBTQIA+ people face significantly more bullying/harassment in an educational setting than those who are CISHET. The UNHR explains that, "It is often driven by stigma and prejudice; rooted in deep cultural beliefs about gender roles, masculinity and femininity." This bullying is carried out in-person, and online--often leading to higher rates of suicide and mental health struggles within many school districts. This behavior that has been normalized for decades, sets up a level of hateful thinking that carries with people throughout the rest of their lives, and onto the next generations. Therefore, if states took the right measures to increase safety and acceptance, there could be a massive transformation in the education system in the future. There has been much progress in this area in the past twenty five years at least, but there is a long ways to go still.

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The inclusion of LGBT people in education settings of paramount importance to “leaving no one behind”

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Statement by the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Mr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, and the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Ms. Koumbou Boly Barry

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As this article conveys, "The United States has had a significant history of mistreatment of LGBT people by law enforcement, including profiling, entrapment, discrimination, and harassment by officers" (UCLA, 2015). Historically speaking, this has proven to remain a relevant issue, especially to this day. Other forms of mistreatment of LGBTQIA+ people, would be how many law enforcement inadequately handle 911 calls made by LGBTQIA+ people, or not acting on hate crimes in general. Overall, queer people fear speaking out often because of this discrimination. This lack of safety that queer people receive is dramatically different that the reception of CISHET individuals, like most things of course. However, this has effected the LGBTQIA+ community the most imposing social control, therefore either pushing queer people into unsafe conditions or by the form of criminalization, historically speaking.

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Discrimination and Harassment by Law Enforcement Officers in the LGBT Community

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A think tank at UCLA Law dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policyWilliams Institute | A think tank at UCLA Law dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy

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State policies majorly shape the lives of LGBTQIA+ people. For instance, it is said that in context said policy decisions, "Nine out of ten (90%) LGBTQ+ young people reported that recent politics negatively impacted their well-being, with 37% experiencing this impact sometimes and 53% experiencing it a lot (The Trevor Project, 2025). These sort of policies can cause serious restrictions/limitations for queer people, that become harder to fight to change.

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How State Policy Affects the Well-Being and Relocation of LGBTQ+ Young People

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LGBTQ+ young people in states with a lower LGBTQ+ policy index were more likely to cross into another state to access health care or consider moving out of the state altogether compared to those in states with a higher LGBTQ+ policy index.

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Healthcare discrimination & LGBTQIA+ people.

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Healthcare discrimination & LGBTQIA+ people.

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LGBTQIA+ people face infinitely worse discrimination in healthcare than heterosexual and cisgender individuals, "from harassment and humiliation by providers to being turned away by hospitals, pharmacists, and doctors" (CAP, 2018). Many Transgender people even describe being continually misgendered as well. Statistically speaking, this article here proves how common this happens to queer people, despite protections in place. It is more likely than not that a LGBTQIA+ person will not go for necessary procedures out of the fear the healthcare system has fostered, especially with trans and intersex people.

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New data from a nationally representative CAP survey conducted in 2017 show that LGBTQ people experience discrimination in health care settings; that discrimination discourages them from seeking care; and that LGBTQ people may have trouble finding alternative services if they are turned away. These data underscore the importance of protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in health care.

LGBTQ people face discrimination and mistreatment at doctors' offices

Despite existing protections, LGBTQ people face disturbing rates of health care discrimination-from harassment and humiliation by providers to being turned away by hospitals, pharmacists, and doctors. The CAP survey data show the types of discrimination that many LGBTQ people face when seeking health care.

Among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) respondents who had visited a doctor or health care provider in the year before the survey:

8 percent said that a doctor or other health care provider refused to see them because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.

6 percent said that a doctor or other health care provider refused to give them health care related to their actual or perceived sexual orientation.

7 percent said that a doctor or other health care provider refused to recognize their family, including a child or a same-sex spouse or partner.

9 percent said that a doctor or other health care provider used harsh or abusive language when treating them.

7 percent said that they experienced unwanted physical contact from a doctor or other health care provider (such as fondling, sexual assault, or rape).

Among transgender people who had visited a doctor or health care providers' office in the past year:

29 percent said a doctor or other health care provider refused to see them because of their actual or perceived gender identity.

12 percent said a doctor or other health care provider refused to give them health care related to gender transition.

23 percent said a doctor or other health care provider intentionally misgendered them or used the wrong name.

21 percent said a doctor or other health care provider used harsh or abusive language when treating them.

29 percent said that they experienced unwanted physical contact from a doctor or other health care provider (such as fondling, sexual assault, or rape).

Discrimination discourages LGBTQ people from seeking health care

Discrimination-and even the potential for discrimination-can deter LGBTQ people from seeking care in the first place. CAP survey data show that discrimination played a role in preventing a significant number of LGBTQ people from seeking health care. In the year prior to the survey, 8 percent of all LGBTQ people-and 14 percent of those who had experienced discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity in the past year-avoided or postponed needed medical care because of disrespect or discrimination from health care staff. Among transgender people, 22 percent reported such avoidance. With regard to preventative screenings, 7 percent of LGBTQ respondents reported avoiding or postponing care in the year prior to the survey, while 17 percent of LGBTQ respondents who had experienced discrimination that year and 19 percent of transgender people reporting avoidance during that period.

An earlier CAP analysis reported other findings from this survey that also indicated the effect of discrimination on LGBTQ people's willingness to seek out health care. In that analysis, 6.7 percent of LGBTQ people reported that they avoided doctor's offices in the past year out of fear of discrimination. This avoidance behavior is even more common among LGBTQ people who reported having experienced discrimination in the past year: 18.4 percent reported avoiding doctor's offices to avoid discrimination, nearly seven times the rate of LGBTQ people who had not experienced discrimination in the past year, at 2.7 percent. These CAP data are consistent with other research. The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey found that nearly 1 in 4 transgender people (23 percent) had avoided seeking needed health care in the past year due to fear of discrimination or mistreatment due to their gender identity.

Finding another doctor is not an answer for all LGBTQ patients

The expansion of legislation, lawsuits, and administrative rule-making allowing for broad religious exemptions from providing services puts another impediment in the way of LGBTQ people receiving medical care. For those patients that do seek medical care and are turned away by providers, alternatives may not be easily accessible. This concern is exacerbated by a shortage of medical providers in key areas of treatment (such as mental health care) and geographic areas (such as rural communities).

CAP survey data show that many LGBTQ people would face significant difficulty finding an alternative provider if they were turned away by a health care provider, such as a hospital, clinic, or pharmacy.

18 percent of LGBTQ people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different hospital.

17 percent of LGBTQ people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different community health center or clinic.

8 percent of LGBTQ people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different pharmacy.

LGBTQ people living outside of a metropolitan area report a high rate of difficulty accessing alternative services, which may be because such services could be further away and transportation costs have the potential to be higher.

41 percent of nonmetro LGBTQ people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different hospital.

31 percent of nonmetro LGBTQ people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different community health center or clinic.

17 percent of nonmetro LGBTQ people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different pharmacy.

Transgender people also report difficulty accessing alternatives at a high rate:

31 percent of transgender people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different hospital.

30 percent of transgender people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different community health center or clinic.

16 percent of transgender people said it would be "very difficult" or "not possible" to find the same type of service at a different pharmacy.

Some people may go to LGBTQ community health centers to avoid such discrimination, but they are not widely available across the United States, and many do not provide comprehensive services. A total of 13 states-mainly those in the central United States- do not have any LGBTQ community health centers. On the U.S. Transgender Survey, 29 percent of respondents seeking transition-related care reported having to travel 25 miles or more to access such care.

Conclusion

Despite the importance of protecting people from discrimination in health care settings, current regulations are under attack. On August 23, 2016, a group of conservative religious organizations and eight states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), challenging the 1557 rule. They made dubious claims that the nondiscrimination protections would require doctors to provide treatment that violated their religious beliefs, such as transition-related surgeries for transgender patients. Even though numerous courts have ruled that laws such as 1557 protect LGBTQ people, in December 2016, a single federal judge issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting HHS from enforcing the 1557 rule's prohibition on discrimination on the basis of gender identity. On May 2, 2017, the Trump-Pence administration filed a motion indicating that the 1557 rule was under review, and in August, it announced that HHS had already written a draft proposal to roll back the rule. Given the Trump-Pence administration's record on LGBTQ issues, new regulations will likely deny the existence of protections to LGBTQ people and make equal health care access and treatment more difficult to obtain for this historically marginalized community. While the administration cannot change the protections for LGBTQ people that exist under the law, a regulatory rollback would cause fear and confusion for patients and promote discrimination by providers and insurers.
Shabab Ahmed Mirza is a research assistant for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress. Caitlin Rooney is a Research Assistant for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center.
Methodology

To conduct this study, CAP commissioned and designed a survey, fielded by GfK SE, which surveyed 1,864 individuals about their experiences with health insurance and health care. Among the respondents, 857 identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender, queer, or asexual, while 1,007 identified as heterosexual and cisgender/nontransgender. Respondents came from all income ranges and are diverse across factors such as race, ethnicity, education, geography, disability status, and age. The survey was fielded online in English in January 2017 to coincide with the fourth open enrollment period through the health insurance marketplaces and the beginning of the first full year of federal rules that specifically protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in health insurance coverage and health care. The data are nationally representative and weighted according to U.S. population characteristics. Metro is defined as a metropolitan core-based statistical area and nonmetro is defined as anything else, including micropolitan core-based statistical areas and locations outside of a core-based statistical area.

Additional information about study methods and materials are available in prior analyses and from the authors. Results reported in this column may differ slightly (two-tenths of 1 percent) but not substantively from other analyses of these data due to the statistical program employed.

The authors would like to thank Sharita Gruberg, Frank Bewkes, and Laura E. Durso from the Center for American Progress as well as Harper Jean Tobin, Katie Keith, and Kellan Baker for their contributions to this column.

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Discrimination Prevents LGBTQ People From Accessing Health Care

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New data from the Center for American Progress show that LGBTQ people frequently avoid health care and experience discrimination in these settings, underscoring the importance of ACA.

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The LGBTQIA+ Community is a community that I belong to, and know members of all ages and walks of life who also identify within the LGBTQIA+ community.

An always constant practice within this community is advocacy for any and all members of our own, and standing up for other outer communities. This is often done via protest, encouraging conversations, activism in online and in-person spaces, and much more.

Aside from those roles that many of us (myself included) belong to, it's also a community of love, openness, and acceptance. With having experienced so much discrimination over the course of history, it's important to create a safe space for all LGBTQIA+.

While my own advocacy efforts are not on the same level as many other prominent members, each little thing you do is deeply significant.

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This article written by Travis Manint for Connectnorthshore.org explores how LGBTQIA+ representation in media has reflected and influenced cultural changes. It showcases how the invisibility and harmful stereotypes that bleed into real life discussions, later evolved into authentic and diverse portrayals that empowers and validates LGBTQIA+. This article discusses how culture has shaped the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people over time, and invited others to learn about and understand the LGBTQIA+ community more inclusively. Queer representation in media has been done both tastefully and distastefully over the course of history, but this aspect of culture fosters an important level of acceptance and change. It allows us as community members to feel seen and heard, and it motivates onlookers to challenge their previous notions.

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Reflecting Reality: The Importance of LGBTQ Representation in Media | Connect Northshore Blog

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The portrayal of LGBTQ characters in media has evolved significantly over the years, moving from marginalized stereotypes to authentic, multifaceted narratives. Our latest blog delves into this transformative journey, highlighting the profound societal impact of accurate representation. Additionally, we offer a curated list of films, shows, and books that champion the LGBTQ experience. Dive in to understand the significance of inclusive storytelling and discover media that resonates with the diverse tapestry of the LGBTQ community.

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In June of 1969, the Stonewall Riots took place, setting the stage for the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. This pivotal moment in the history of my community ignited resistance, challenged discrimination, and paved the way for pride and lasting advocacy for Queer voices.

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Beyond Stonewall: Exploring LGBTQ+ History Through the Smithsonian Archives 🏳️‍🌈 Smithsonian Channel

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Factually, LGBTQIA+ people or same-sex couples disproportionately live in areas with greater risks and negative effects due to climate change. This factors into a lack of resources, and a heightened rate of anxiety to name a couple of ways that environmental changes have shaped the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people.

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Climate Change Risk for LGBT People in the United States

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A think tank at UCLA Law dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policyWilliams Institute | A think tank at UCLA Law dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy

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How have historical events shaped the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have changes in culture shaped the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have environmental changes shaped the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have institutions related to health affected the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have institutions related to health affected the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have institutions related to the state affected the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have institutions related to the state affected the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have institutions related to safety affected the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have institutions related to safety affected the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have education systems affected the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How have education systems affected the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How has religion as an institution affected the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ people?

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How has religion as an institution affected the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ people?