Communities of Resilience: The Lived Experiences of LGBTQ Adults in Los Angeles County

Executive Summary

Approximately 665,000 LGBTQ adults live in Los Angeles County. They make up nearly 9% of the county’s adult population, and they live, work, shop, and seek services throughout the county. This report presents information about their experiences with discrimination and harassment in the areas of education, employment, housing, health care, public spaces, and law enforcement, as well as findings about their health and economic well-being. The report uses representative data collected from 1,006 LGBTQ Los Angelenos who completed the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s 2023 Los Angeles County Health Survey (LACHS), including 504 LGBTQ Angelenos who also completed the Lived Experiences in Los Angeles County (LELAC) Survey, which was a call-back study to LACHS developed by the Williams Institute. Survey adults were diverse in terms of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age, income, and other personal characteristics, reflecting the diversity of Los Angeles County’s LGBTQ population. This report is being published with three other reports to provide a fuller view of LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County:

• Para Mi Punto de Vista / From My Point of View: Results of the 2023 LA County Trans & Nonbinary Survey
• Hear Us. Support Us. Join Us! Civic Engagement of LGBTQ Angelenos and Recommendations for Local Elected Officials
• We are LA! What LGBTQ People Contribute to Los Angeles

Several main themes emerge from the analyses presented in this report:

• Affording life in Los Angeles. Los Angeles County’s historic promise of equality and freedom for LGBTQ adults is being undermined by a rapidly escalating cost of living. More than one-third of LGBTQ adults are living below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), and they have higher rates of food insecurity and housing instability than non-LGBTQ adults. Being able to afford living in Los Angeles County is the most common worry among LGBTQ people, and it is the primary issue they would like elected officials to address. As the county’s leaders work to address the housing crisis and other economic issues, they must take the specific challenges of LGBTQ people into account.
• Safety concerns. Many LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County shape their daily lives to protect their safety. They are more likely than non-LGBTQ adults to be victims of crime, and many face harassment when out in public. To protect themselves, many avoid public transportation, parks, and beaches; do not frequent LGBTQ-related businesses; and do not attend events such as Pride festivals. LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County want more protection from law enforcement, including prosecution of hate crimes. However, some are reluctant to contact law enforcement because of bad experiences that include verbal, physical, and sexual harassment. LGBTQ people and spaces need to be protected, and work needs to continue to make law enforcement more reflective of and responsive to the LGBTQ community.
• Ongoing discrimination and harassment. Even with supportive state and local laws in place, a number of LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County continue to experience discrimination and harassment in education, employment, housing, public accommodations, and health care. Nearly half are not out to their supervisors at work. As a result of these negative experiences, many don’t get the education, income, opportunities, and services they need. These findings confirm that equality “on the books” does not always translate to equality in lived experience. Local protections need to be strengthened and backed with consistent enforcement, training, and monitoring for compliance.
• Challenges in building families and receiving social support. Most LGBTQ people are not born into LGBTQ families and communities that pass on community culture, support, and coping mechanisms. Instead, many LGBTQ people in Los Angeles County are not out to all of their friends and families, face unique challenges in having children, don’t feel welcome in their neighborhoods, and are isolated from religious and spiritual communities. LGBTQ adults are more likely than non-LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County to live alone and to feel lonely, especially those who are older. For some, including LGBTQ adults of color, discrimination within LGBTQ communities adds to isolation. Policy solutions for LGBTQ people must address these unique challenges to building families and communities, with a particular focus on services and programs that assume a certain level of family support or that are administered by faith-based organizations.
• Resultant health disparities. As a result of their lived experiences, LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County have higher rates of mental health issues, substance use issues, and disabilities. These health conditions are exacerbated by unfair treatment from health care providers, leading many LGBTQ people to avoid care or to not be out to their providers. Improving the health of LGBTQ people and reducing sexual orientation and gender identity–related health disparities will require initiatives specifically tailored to the community, ongoing training of providers, civil rights enforcement, and community education.
• Vulnerable subpopulations. Specific subpopulations within the LGBTQ community face even greater challenges. Throughout this analysis, we found that LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL, transgender and nonbinary adults, LGBTQ adults of color, and bisexual men and women are disproportionately impacted by discrimination, harassment, and isolation and account for many of the disparities between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ adults.
• Communities of resilience. Despite the challenges, most LGBTQ adults agree that Los Angeles County is a good place for LGBTQ people to live and that elected officials are responsive to their needs. They celebrate the many ways that LGBTQ people contribute to the unique identity of Los Angeles, including by adding to its rich diversity; serving as models for others to be strong, love, and live their lives authentically; providing leadership in arts and entertainment; and living with some “sparkle” and “joy.” While facing numerous challenges, many LGBTQ people are already working alongside elected officials and others to make Los Angeles County a better place not only for LGBTQ people but for everyone.

Key Findings

Demographics

• LGBTQ people reflect the rich diversity of Los Angeles.
  • LGBTQ adults make up 9% of the county’s adult population, approximately 665,000 LGBTQ adults.
    • Approximately 211,000 LGBTQ adults live in L.A. County Supervisory District 3, 120,000 in District 1; 109,000 in District 4; 109,000 in District 5; and 98,000 in District 2.
  • Forty-two percent of LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County are 18 to 35 years old, 48% are 35 to 64 years old, and 10% are 65 years of age or older.
  • Fourteen percent of LGBTQ adults in the county are transgender or nonbinary.
    • Two-thirds of LGBTQ adults in the county are people of color, including 39% who are Latinx; 13% who are Asian; 8% who are Black; and 4% who are multiracial, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or “other race.”
  • Nearly one in five LGBTQ adults (18%) in the county were born outside of the U.S.
  • Forty-one percent of LGBTQ adults in the county met criteria used by the U.S. Census Bureau to assess disability.
  • More than one in four LGBTQ adults (28%) are currently married or in a domestic partnership.
  • Almost one in five LGBTQ adults (18%) in the county is a parent.
  • More than one-third of LGBTQ adults (35%) in Los Angeles County are living below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL).1

Social Climate and Overview

• Many LGBTQ adults agreed that Los Angeles County is a good place for LGBTQ people to live (81%), although LGBTQ people of color (77%) and those living below 200% FPL (69%) were less likely to agree than those who are White (90%) or have higher incomes (89%).
  • Most LGBTQ adults felt that California (86%) and the country (84%) have become more accepting over the past decade than their local neighborhood (73%).
• Despite feeling that Los Angeles County is a good place to live, a number of LGBTQ people reported experiences of mistreatment and harassment and reported that they avoid certain professionals and places because they fear unfair treatment or threats to their safety.
  • Even though many LGBTQ adults view Los Angeles County as supportive, many are not out to others, including family and friends, supervisors and coworkers at work, or health care providers.
  • More than one-third of LGBTQ adults (36%) reported unfair treatment based on their LGBTQ identity while living in Los Angeles County, including 28% who reported that this had occurred within the past five years.
  • More than half of LGBTQ adults (51%) reported being verbally harassed in Los Angeles County because of their LGBTQ identity, including 39% who reported occurrences within the past five years.
  • Many LGBTQ adults said they had avoided public places like businesses, parks, and public transportation in the past year because they feared unfair treatment or threats to their safety due to their LGBTQ identities.

Family, Friends, and Social Support

• Many LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County are not out to all of their family members and friends.
  • Only about half (52%) are out to all of their immediate family.
    • LGBTQ people of color are less likely than White LGBTQ adults to be out to all of their immediate family (43% vs. 69%).
    • Almost half of cisgender bisexual men (48%) are not out to any of their immediate family members, compared to 18% of cisgender bisexual women, 8% of lesbians, and 7% of gay men.
  • Three-quarters of LGBTQ adults (75%) are out to all of their LGBTQ friends, and half (50%) are out to all of their non-LGBTQ friends.
• Eleven percent of LGBTQ adults in the county are caregivers compared to 18% of non-LGBTQ adults.
• LGBTQ adults in the county are more likely to live alone (29% vs. 16%) than non-LGBTQ adults and are twice as likely to feel lonely (48% vs. 23%).
  • LGBTQ adults who are 50 years of age and older are twice as likely to live alone than non- LGBTQ adults (43% vs. 21%).
• Fewer LGBTQ adults than non-LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County (52% vs. 65%) feel that they always or usually get the social and emotional support they need.
  • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL were less likely to report the same as compared to those with higher incomes (39% vs. 59%).

Family Formation

• In Los Angeles County, the majority (62%) of LGBTQ residents 18 to 49 years old would like to have a child or expand their families.
• Most are considering a variety of strategies for doing so, including assisted reproductive technologies (ART) (such as using donor sperm, IVF, and surrogacy) and adoption.
• Cost was identified as a barrier by 61% of LGBTQ adults who would like to use ART to have a child and by 50% of those who would like to adopt or to foster a child.

LGBTQ Communities and Local Neighborhoods

• LGBTQ people reported safety concerns in their own neighborhoods and while visiting LGBTQ events and businesses.
  • Only 46% of LGBTQ adults felt there was a lot of social acceptance for LGBTQ adults in the neighborhood where they lived.
    • Among LGBTQ county residents, fewer of those who were living below 200% FPL (29%) or who were people of color (42%) felt there was a lot of social acceptance in their neighborhoods compared to LGBTQ adults who had higher incomes (55%) or who were White (54%).
  • Almost 30% of LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County (29%) reported feeling safe none or just some of the time in their neighborhoods.
    • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL (42%) and LGBTQ people of color (37%) were twice as likely to not feel safe in their neighborhood any of the time or only some of the time as compared to LGBTQ adults who had higher incomes (22%) or who were White (15%).
  • About one-fourth of LGBTQ adults (23%) reported having been verbally harassed by strangers while attending an LGBTQ event or visiting an LGBTQ establishment in Los Angeles County. Most of these experiences (16%) had occurred within the past five years.
  • Due to fears of being assaulted or attacked because of their LGBTQ status, 15% of LGBTQ adults in the county had avoided LGBTQ bars, nightclubs, or events during the past year, and 6% had avoided going to other LGBTQ organizations or businesses.
    • Transgender and nonbinary adults were more than twice as likely as cisgender LGBQ adults to avoid LGBTQ bars or events (27% vs. 13%) and other LGBTQ organizations or businesses (14% vs. 5%) out of safety concerns.
    • Those living below 200% FPL were nearly twice as likely as those with higher incomes to avoid LGBTQ bars and events (20% vs. 12%) and more than twice as likely to avoid other LGBTQ organizations or businesses (10% vs. 3%).
  • More than one-third (38%) of LGBTQ adults of color reported having been treated unfairly or poorly as a person of color while living in Los Angeles County. Thirteen percent of these instances involved racism within LGBTQ communities.

Religious and Spiritual Communities

• More than two-thirds of LGBTQ adults (69%) in Los Angeles County identified as spiritual or religious, although many are not out in their religious or spiritual communities and have experienced negative treatment in these environments.
  • Forty-two percent of LGBTQ adults said that religion is somewhat or very important in their lives, and more than a quarter (27%) attend religious services at least a few times a year.
  • LGBTQ people of color were much more likely than White LGBTQ adults to say that religion is very important in their lives (23% vs. 9%).
• Nearly half of LGBTQ adults with religious and spiritual communities (48%) were not out to any of the people with whom they attend religious services or spiritual practices.
  • More than half of LGBTQ people of color (53%) are not out to anyone in their religious or spiritual communities, compared to one-third of White LGBTQ adults (36%).
  • Approximately three-fourths of cisgender bisexual men (73%) and bisexual women (75%) are also not out to anyone in these communities.
• Some LGBTQ adults had avoided religious services or spiritual practices in the past year to avoid poor treatment (19%) or because of safety concerns (15%) due to their LGBTQ status.

Employment

• Among adults in the workforce in Los Angeles County, unemployment is higher among LGBTQ adults (16%) than non-LGBTQ adults (11%).
• Almost half (48%) of employed LGBTQ adults are not out to their supervisor, and nearly one in four (24%) are not out to any of their coworkers.
  • LGBTQ employees of color are more likely than White LGBTQ employees to be out to none or only some of their coworkers (58% vs. 37%).
  • Among cisgender LGBQ adults, three-fourths of bisexual women (73%) and bisexual men (77%) are not out to their supervisor, compared with 23% of lesbians and 30% of gay men.
• Approximately one in eight LGBTQ adults reported being fired/not promoted (12%) or not hired (11%) for a job because of their sexual orientation or gender identity while living in Los Angeles County, with most of these experiences having occurred in the past five years (7% to 8%).
  • Transgender and nonbinary adults (24%) and LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL (20%) were more than twice as likely as cisgender LGBQ adults (9%) and those with higher incomes (7%) to have not been hired for a job because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• One in five (20%) LGBTQ employees reported having been verbally harassed at work by their supervisor, coworkers, customers, or clients, including 13% who had experienced such harassment in the past five years.
  • LGBTQ people of color were more than twice as likely as White LGBTQ adults to report verbal harassment by their supervisor or coworkers (23% vs.13%).

Public Accommodations, Public Spaces, and Safety

• About one-third of LGBTQ adults (32%) reported experiencing verbal harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity from strangers on the street, including 23% who had had these experiences in the past five years.
  • Cisgender lesbians (42%) and gay men (45%) were three times as likely to report harassment from strangers on the street as cisgender bisexual women (15%) and bisexual men (13%).
• Twelve percent of LGBTQ adults experienced verbal harassment when accessing services from businesses open to the public in Los Angeles County, including 8% whose experiences had been in the past five years.
  • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL were more likely than those with higher incomes to report such harassment (20% vs. 8%).
  • Cisgender lesbians (20%) and gay men (17%) were much more likely to report such harassment than cisgender bisexual women (1%) and men (3%).
• Approximately one in five LGBTQ adults reported avoiding restaurants or stores (22%), places of entertainment (19%), or public transportation (17%) in order to avoid poor treatment based on their LGBTQ status.
  • Those living below 200% FPL were more than twice as likely to report that they had avoided places of entertainment or public transportation to avoid unfair treatment.
  • Cisgender lesbians and gay men were approximately four times as likely to avoid these locations as cisgender bisexual men and women.
• In the past year, many LGBTQ adults avoided public parks or beaches (16%), restaurants or stores (14%), public transportation (14%), and places of entertainment (13%) due to concerns about being assaulted or attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Compared to cisgender LGBQ people, transgender and nonbinary adults were more likely to report that they had avoided public parks and beaches (33% vs. 13%) and public transportation (27% vs. 12%) out of safety concerns.
• Among LGBTQ adults who had lived in Los Angeles County their entire lives, around 40% reported that they had been victims of personal (39%) or property crimes (42%). Of those who had been victims of both types of crimes, 72% felt that they had been targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Interactions With Law Enforcement

• Forty-one percent of LGBTQ adults strongly or somewhat disagreed that law enforcement treats LGBTQ adults fairly, while 31% strongly or somewhat agreed.
  • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL (13%) were more likely than those with higher incomes (5%) to say that they had avoided calling the police in order to avoid unfair treatment.
• LGBTQ adults reported experiencing verbal harassment (17%), physical harassment or assault (6%), sexual harassment or assault (6%), and being solicited for sex (3%) by law enforcement in Los Angeles County.
  • Transgender and nonbinary adults, LGBTQ adults of color, and those living below 200% FPL were all twice as likely to report verbal harassment by law enforcement compared to LGBQ cisgender adults (34% vs. 14%), White LGBTQ adults (20% vs. 10%), and LGBTQ people with higher household incomes (24% vs. 13%).
• Among adults who had had contact with law enforcement in the prior year, 31% felt that they had not been treated respectfully or properly and said that the interactions made them less likely to contact law enforcement in the future. However, more than half (52%) were satisfied with their interactions with law enforcement.
  • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL were much more likely to feel that law enforcement had not acted properly in a recent interaction compared to LGBTQ adults with higher incomes (46% vs. 23%), and they were much less likely to contact law enforcement in the future as a result (46% vs. 22%).

Income and Food Insecurity

• Similar to non-LGBTQ adults, one-third of LGBTQ adults (35%) in Los Angeles County were living below 200% FPL, and 13% were living in poverty (below 100% FPL).
  • Among LGBTQ adults, transgender adults (47%) and adults of color (42%) were more likely to be living below 200% FPL than cisgender LGBQ (33%) and White adults (21%).
• One-third (33%) of LGBTQ adults described their household’s financial situation as just meeting basic expenses (24%) or as not having enough to meet basic expenses (9%).
  • However, nearly two-thirds (65%) of LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL described their household’s financial situation as just meeting basic expenses (45%) or as not having enough to meet basic expenses (21%).
• Nearly one in three (32%) LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County lived in households that experienced food insecurity in the past year, as did more than one five (23%) non-LGBTQ adults.
  • More LGBTQ adults (56%) living below 200% FPL and LGBTQ people of color (42%) had experienced food insecurity than those with higher household incomes (19%) and who are White (19%).
  • More cisgender bisexual men (37%) and women (37%) experienced food insecurity compared to cisgender gay men (22%) and lesbians (30%).

Housing Insecurity

• Due to high levels of renting among LGBTQ people in Los Angeles County (61%) compared to non-residents (46%), LGBTQ people are at elevated risk of housing insecurity.
  • Two-thirds of cisgender bisexual men (66%) and bisexual women (68%) are renters, compared to half of cisgender gay men (55%) and lesbians (50%). Over two-thirds (68%) of transgender and non-binary adults are renters.
• More LGBTQ than non-LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County live in households that are “cost burdened” or “severely cost burdened” by housing expenses.
  • More than half (61%) of LGBTQ adults and 53% of non-LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County spend 30% or more of their monthly household income on housing.
  • One-quarter (26%) of LGBTQ adults and 21% of non-LGBTQ adults spend over 50% of their household’s total monthly income on rent or a mortgage.
• More LGBTQ adults than non-LGBTQ adults live in households that were delayed or unable to pay their mortgage or rent at least once in the prior two years (19% vs. 15%).
  • More LGBTQ people of color live in households that had had any difficulty paying for housing compared to White LGBTQ adults (22% vs. 14%).
• More than one in 10 LGBTQ adults (11%) and 6% of non-LGBTQ adults had been homeless at some time in the past five years.
• More than one in 10 LGBTQ adults (12%) reported having a landlord or realtor in Los Angeles County refuse to sell or rent to them because of their LGBTQ identity, with 5% reporting such an experience in the past five years.
  • More cisgender lesbians (36%) and gay men (13%) reported such treatment than cisgender bisexual men (6%) and women (1%).
• More than one in 10 LGBTQ adults (11%) reported experiencing verbal harassment from their landlord, other tenants, or neighbors, with 8% reporting such experiences within the past five years.
  • More LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL (22%) reported such harassment than those with higher incomes (6%).

Health

• While LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ adults had similar self-reports on their overall health and access to health insurance, on 11 out of 16 more specific health indicators—including those related to mental health, and substance abuse—more LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County had worse outcomes than non-LGBTQ adults. Those living below 200% FPL were the mostly likely to have poor health.
• Symptoms of depression were twice as common among LGBTQ adults than non-LGBTQ adults (21% vs. 10%).
  • Among LGBTQ adults, 30% of those living below 200% FPL had symptoms of depression, compared to 16% of those with higher incomes.
• Lifetime suicide attempts were more common among LGBTQ adults than non-LGBTQ adults (13% vs. 3%).
  • Among LGBTQ adults, suicide attempts were reported by more: transgender and nonbinary adults than cisgender LGBQ adults (24% vs. 11%)
  • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL than adults with higher incomes (20% vs. 9%)
  • cisgender bisexual women compared to cisgender bisexual men (6%), cisgender lesbians (5%), and cisgender gay men (8%).
• More LGBTQ adults had engaged in binge drinking (32%) and heavy marijuana use (15%) in the past month than non-LGBTQ adults (21% and 5%, respectively).
  • Among LGBTQ adults, heavy marijuana use was more common among adults living below 200% FPL than among those with higher incomes (20% vs. 12%).
• While almost half of LGBTQ adults (46%) had received mental health care in the prior year, about one in four (26%) expressed an unmet need for care. While the primary barriers involved cost (75%), 31% were unable to find care supportive of LGBTQ adults.
• More than a third of LGBTQ adults (37%) had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV)— twice as many as non-LGBTQ adults (18%).
  • Half (50%) of cisgender bisexual women reported IPV.
• Almost one in 10 LGBTQ adults (9%) said they smoked regularly, compared to fewer non- LGBTQ adults (6%).
  • Among LGBTQ adults, smoking was more common among:
    • cisgender gay and bisexual men than cisgender lesbians and bisexual women (13% vs. 5%)
    • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL than those with higher incomes (15% vs. 6%)
• While somewhat fewer LGBTQ adults than non-LGBTQ adults were overweight (BMI of 25.0–29.9) (28% v. 33%) or obese (BMI greater than 30.0) (28% vs. 30%), obesity was more common among:
  • cisgender lesbians than cisgender gay men (42% vs. 21%)
  • LGBTQ people of color than White LGBTQ adults (32% vs. 22%)
  • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL than those with higher household incomes (37% vs. 23%)
• More LGBTQ adults than non-LGBTQ adults had difficulty accessing needed medical care (32% vs. 23%).
  • Among LGBTQ adults, difficulty accessing care was more common among:
    • LGBTQ adults of color than White LGBTQ adults (36% vs. 27%)
    • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL than among adults with higher incomes (43% vs. 27%)
• In the past year, about one in 10 LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County (11%) did not go to health care providers for fear of unfair treatment, and 8% did not go for fear of being threatened or physically attacked because of their LGBTQ status.
  • Transgender and nonbinary adults (21%) were approximately twice as likely as cisgender LGBQ adults (11%) to report that they had not accessed health care in order to avoid unfair treatment.
• Among LGBTQ adults who had health care providers, just over half reported being out to all of their providers (51%), and almost one in four (23%) reported not being out to any of their providers.
  • Among LGBTQ adults, the likelihood of not being out to any of their health care providers was higher among:
    • cisgender bisexual women (54%) and men (37%) than cisgender lesbians (6%) and gay men (6%)
    • those living below 200% FPL compared to those with higher incomes (36% vs. 17%)
    • transgender and nonbinary adults compared to cisgender LGBQ adults (32% vs. 23%)
    • adults of color compared to White adults (28% vs. 14%)
• More than one in 10 LGBTQ adults (11%) reported being denied medical care or provided inferior care because of their sexual orientation or gender identity while living in Los Angeles County, including 8% who had had these experiences in the past five years.
• More than one in 10 LGBTQ adults (11%) reported being verbally harassed because of their LGBTQ status while accessing health care in Los Angeles County.
  • LGBTQ adults living below 200% FPL (17%) were more likely to have experienced verbal harassment than those with higher incomes (8%).

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