The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law released a study April 27 that states nearly 27% of LGBT people experienced food insecurity at some point over the past year. That is an estimated 3 million adults in the U.S.
The percentage of LGBT people who did not have enough food to eat is more than twice the proportion of food insecurity found in the general population with LGBT women, people of color, young adults and those with low incomes have particularly higher rates of food insecurity.
“Before the pandemic, hunger was a persistent problem for one in four LGBT adults,” said lead author Bianca D.M. Wilson, Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute, in a statement. “COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn are likely to have a major impact on this population.”
Key findings from the study:
-One in three LBT women and one in five GBT men experienced food insecurity in the past year.
-30% of LGBT adults age 18 to 34 experienced food insecurity in the past year and relatively high rates were found among all age groups under 65.
-Black (37%), Latinx (32%), American Indian (29%) and Pacific Islander (35%) LGBT people reported particularly high rates of food insecurity, compared to White (22%) and Asian/Asian American (8%) LGBT people.
-Half of all LGBT people eligible for SNAP experienced food insecurity in the past year.
-More than one-third of LGBT people experiencing poverty—but ineligible for SNAP—faced hunger in the past year.
To read the brief, click here.
