Call Out and Resist Increased Oppression
It’s Pride Month, which honors the LGBTQ+ community’s history, resilience and ongoing struggle for equality. While it originated from the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City, a turning point in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, it has since evolved into a global celebration of identity, visibility and activism, emphasizing both joy and justice.
As you know, the federal government, along with many state legislatures, has been rolling back rights and replacing them with repressive legislation that further diminishes the class advantage of our LGBTQ+ family, friends, congregation members and peers.
Here are a few resources that provide more on the intersection of class and sexual orientation – and some that can help you join the fight to end this insidious form of discrimination. Do a bit of research using the search term “LGBTQ2+ and social class.” You will find countless resources to educate yourself further, so you can effectively advocate for equity and equality.
Learn
The Wage Gap Among LGBTQ+ Workers in the United States, Human Rights Campaign: In an HRC Foundation analysis of nearly 7,000 full-time LGBTQ+ workers, median earnings were about 90% of the median weekly wage a typical worker earns in the United States, as reported in 2021 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. NOTE: The most recent quarterly report for 2026 does not include information on the LGBTQ+ segment of the U.S. population. LGBTQ+ people of color, transgender women and men, and nonbinary individuals earn even less when compared to the typical worker.
The LGBTQI+ Community Reported High Rates of Discrimination in 2024, Center for American Progress: CAP survey findings show that the U.S. LGBTQI+ community experiences high rates of discrimination, challenges in accessing health care, and more.
State Profiles of LGBT Poverty in the United States, Williams Institute: This report provides a regional look at the impact of sexual orientation on rights and wealth.
The LGBTQ Wealth Gap, lgbtq-economics.org: The cost of economic obstacles adds up to significant wealth gap between LGBTQ+ Americans and their heterosexual/cisgender peers.
A new program and policies to fight global anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, Harvard Kennedy School
Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2026, ACLU
Act
Pink Haven Coalition, UU Service Committee
Uplift and Welcoming Congregations, UUA LGBTQ+ Ministries
The U.N.’s international support
List of LGBTQ rights organizations in the United States, Wikipedia
List of LGBTQ rights organizations around the world, Wikipedia