The State of the LGBTQ+ Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a D&I professional and ally of many groups, I often attend events not geared toward my heterosexual cisgender female identity. Because how else am I going to learn about others, with other identities?

Two weeks ago, I attended an event sponsored by the International Bar Association on “the state of the LGBTQ+ community during the Covid-19 pandemic” and I confess, I almost missed it thinking, “What issues could be specific to the LGBTQ+ community during this crisis?”

I am glad I attended the webinar with experts from all around the globe. I learned about same sex couples who missed the birth of their adoptive children due to travel restrictions, transgender individuals who did not have access to hormone doses or medical procedures, increased rates of depression in a community with already high rates of depression, increased violence towards individuals in other countries who would normally be able to seek asylum, disproportionate rates of unemployment because certain industries (hospitality, creative arts) historically more welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community have been hit hard, people being outed (or worse, blackmailed) because virtual attendance at LGBTQ+ events makes their identities more public….

I am glad I attended. I didn’t know.