An analysis of the last 10 years of LGBTQ equality in the U.S. shows "incredible" progress, but it also demonstrates that lawmakers still have a lot to do to ensure the protection of LGBTQ individuals.
A study released Tuesday by the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit that uses data to accelerate LGBTQ equality, found that lawmakers in the U.S. have both "strengthened and undermined equality at the local, state, and federal levels," when it comes to the LGBTQ population.
"The past decade has included incredible legal, political and social progress for LGBTQ people, such as the right to marry, the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and increased support for LGBTQ equality," Ineke Mushovic, the executive director of MAP, said in a statement.
"But this report shows there are also many areas of the country where change has been slow: More than half of states still lack basic employment nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people," she added.
According to an analysis of key LGBTQ policy areas, researchers found that in 2020, LGBTQ people are roughly split in half, in terms of policies, according to where they live.
About half (46%) of LGBTQ individuals in the U.S. live in states with "high" or "medium" policy tallies, while some 45% live in states with "negative" or "low" policy tallies.
The polarization illustrates the significant work that still needs to be done.
To come up with its LGBTQ policy tally, researchers with MAP tracked nearly 40 LGBTQ-related laws and policies in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories.
They looked at policies in seven major categories _ relationship and parental recognition; nondiscrimination; religious exemptions; LGBTQ youth; health care; criminal justice and identity documents _ and then scored each of those categories based on their relevance to sexual orientation and gender identity.
Each category could be scored as negative, low, fair, medium or high.
Overall, 19 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico have high or medium tallies, while five states have fair tallies. Over half (26) of states, plus four territories, have low or negative overall LGBTQ policy tallies.
Looking retrospectively, the number of LGBTQ people living in "negative" equality states fell by more than half. Some 48% of them lived in negative equality states in 2010. The number for 2020 decreased to 20%.
Accordingly, the number of LGBTQ people living in "medium" or "high" equality states increased to nearly half (46%) of all LGBTQ people in 2020, a dramatic increase from 6% in 2010.
The report points at an increased occurrence of laws extending "religious exemptions" _ legislation that allows medical care providers and children placement agencies to refuse to work with LGBTQ people in accordance to their religious beliefs.
In 2010, only one state had a targeted religious exemption law. In 2020, there are 13 states with similar legislation _ which means that in those states, LGBTQ people are more likely to have access to critical family services and healthcare than they were 10 years ago.
Transgender youth have also been disproportionately targeted by a series of recent bills. These include banning transgender participation in sports, allowing teachers to use a different pronoun, even making it a felony for a doctor to provide gender-affirming treatment to trans youth.
"Maybe because it's an election year, we're seeing anti-LGBTQ lawmakers in those states doubling down in 2020, often using a 'kitchen sink' approach to introduce every kind of legislation imaginable targeting the LGBTQ community _ despite the damage of similar legislation in states like Indiana and North Carolina," said Mushovic.
"Fortunately, as the data shows, the overall trajectory is toward equality, and as more and more Americans get to know their LGBTQ friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members, we are confident this trend will hold. We just need lawmakers to catch up," Mushovic added.
