Many mainstream LGBT organizations think that we need to shift our
focus from marriage to other issues. Some of the issues that they feel are
important to look at are starting to gain attention.
1. Violence against queer and trans people is being heightened by
recent legislation. The bathroom issue has gotten National and world attention
in recent weeks. There are many incidents of anti-LGBT hate violence. More
protections need to be put in place to help curb these hate crimes.
2. Racial justice is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. Many
of the issues facing the general LGBT population are even worse for people of
color. LGBT people of color are twice as likely to experience physical
violence. Roughly two thirds of the homicide victims are people of color.
Racial justice or “the systemic fair treatment of all people of all races, resulting
in equal opportunities and outcomes for all: is not specific to LGBT people but
true justice for LGBT people cant’ be achieved if not all of us are liberated.
3. Queer and trans homeless youth is becoming a real problem. 40% of
homeless youth identify as LGBT. 68% of those kids were kicked out of their
families and homes because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 54%
reported being survivors of abuse from their families. These experiences leave
these young people vulnerable to mental and physical health issues.
4. Immigrant justice has come into public awareness. And estimated
2.7% of our nation’s undocumented immigrants identify as LGBT. Undocumented
immigrants have been integral to building the immigration movement. The
deportation and detention process for immigrants is particularly awful for LGBT
people, who are often harassed and abused.
5. Economic justice is particularly challenging for LGBT people. Many
queers and trans people are in the low-income bracket. Employment
discrimination, lack of health insurance, homelessness and other factors make
LGBT people particularly vulnerable to the impact of economic inequality. Gay
and lesbian families are significantly more likely to be living below the
poverty line that heterosexual married families, and children in gay and
lesbian households are twice as likely to live in poverty. The statistics are
even worse for LGBT people of color.
6. Trans justice is becoming a critical issue as more trans people are
coming out. Empowerment of trans people needs to be central to the movement for
LGBT justice. Many trans people live in extreme poverty. 41% of trans people
have attempted suicide as compared to 1.6% of the general population. Trans
people are consistently abused, discriminated against, harassed and assaulted.
Too often the “T” gets excluded from LGBT initiatives and campaigns. We can’t
have LGBT and queer justice without trans justice.
7. Health is another important issue that needs attention. There are
significant disparities in health between heterosexual and LGBT people. 82% of
heterosexual adults have health insurance compared to 77% of LBG adults and 57%
of transgender adults. The expansion of access to health care in the United
States should be a priority of the LGBT movement.
These are only a few issues that deserve attention. There are
organizations that are focusing on these issues but they tend to be small and under
sourced. The most funding goes to big groups like the Human Rights Campaign,
who have a history of excluding trans people from their work.
It is time that the organizations and leaders who set the agenda for
the mainstream LGBT movement start to prioritize the empowerment of the most marginalized
groups: queers, trans, people of color, and individuals living in the South,
Southeast and the Midwest.
