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The Economic Case for Greater LGBTI+ Equality in the United States

image of The Economic Case for Greater LGBTI+ Equality in the United States

Ensuring equality for LGBTI+ individuals is a human rights imperative, but it also makes a lot of economic sense. Inclusion enables LGBTI+ individuals to achieve their full employment and labour productivity potential, benefitting not only their economic and social well-being, but also society as a whole. Yet, robust evidence supporting the economic case for greater LGBTI+ equality is still scarce due to challenges in accurately measuring the size and life situation of the LGBTI+ population. This report bridges this gap by using a unique set of microdata from the United States. The report begins with an overview of the share of US adults identifying as LGBTI+, their geographic distribution and key demographics. It then evaluates the extent to which LGBTI+ Americans face discrimination, assessing how this population fares, including in the labour market. Finally, utilising the OECD long-term model, the report quantifies the potential increase in GDP resulting from closing the unexplained LGBTI+ gaps in employment and labour productivity. The findings highlight significant economic gains, although they capture only a portion of the potential benefits. Notably, the broader societal impacts, such as the advancement of women's empowerment through the disruption of heteronormative standards, are not quantified.

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Who are LGBTI+ Americans?

This chapter presents the latest data on the share of US adults who identify as LGBTI+ and delves into information on their geographic location and demographics, including sex assigned at birth, age, race/ethnicity, family structure, and educational attainment. Over the past decade, the percentage of US adults who identify as LGBTI+ has nearly doubled, reaching 11.2% (or nearly 30 million) in 2023. LGBTI+ self-identification is more commonly reported in accepting neighbourhoods, as well as among individuals assigned female at birth, young people, and Whites. LGBTI+ adults are less likely to live with a partner or in a household with children. Historically, non-cisgender individuals have faced educational disadvantages, and this trend is now also emerging among younger generations of cisgender individuals who identify as non-heterosexual. This chapter explores the reasons for these disparities, beyond documenting them.

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