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Aired Jan 6, 2022

Poverty in America Awareness Month

Despite numerous reports about the economic disparities people who are LGBTQ+ face, the myth of gay affluence is extremely pervasive. In this episode of Something To Talk About Live, we will be discussing Chabeli Carrazana and Orion Rummler’s article in The 19th, “The Census Bureau’s first ever data on LGBTQ+ people indicates deep disparities” with Mia Ives-Rublee, Director, Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress.

Something to Talk About Live is a series designed by PFLAG National’s Straight for Equality program to create conversation about LGBTQ+ issues. Each week we offer an article on LGBTQ+ topics and suggest a few questions you can use to lead a discussion with your ERG, community group, PFLAG chapter, or friends and family.

We hosted a conversation about this article as a part of PFLAG Connects and Something to Talk About Live on Thursday, January 6. Did you miss it? You can still watch it here! 

Article: The Census Bureau’s first ever data on LGBTQ+ people indicates deep disparities

Source: The 19th

Author: Chabeli Carrazana and Orion Rummler

Questions for Discussion:

  1. Do any of the preliminary results from the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey about the economic disparities that LGBTQ+ respondents face surprise you? Why or why not? Be specific with your answers.

  2. Reports about LGBTQ+ people experiencing employment discrimination, food insecurity, unstable housing, and poverty have been released by organizations like the Center for American Progress, the Williams Institute, and the National Center for Transgender Equality in recent years. However, one of the most cited stats is about the tremendous economic power of the LGBTQ+ community. Why does the myth of gay affluence persist in the US? What are the ways in which it makes addressing disparities like these more difficult?

  3. What can we as parents, families, allies, and community advocates do to support people who are LGBTQ+ that are also experiencing economic hardships? What legislative fixes would help? Are there ways that we can educate others about the reality of economics for many people who are LGBTQ+?

Bonus read: Check out the Center for American Progress report “The United States Must Advance Economic Security for Disabled LGBTQI+ Workers” authored by Caroline Medina, Lindsay Mahowald, Thee Santos, and Mia Ives-Rublee.

About Our Guests:

Mia Ives-Rublee
Director, Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress

Ways to Watch:

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