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LGBT poverty



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So much for all those stories suggesting we're all rich. From Noah Baron at the Religious Action Center:

Poverty and homeless is not limited to youth, however. A recent report released by the Center for American Progress, Movement Advancement Project, Family Equality Council, and other groups revealed that same-sex couples with children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty compared to their heterosexual counterparts. This poverty is the product of a variety of factors: For example, because many federal and state anti-poverty programs use restrictive definitions of "family," same-sex couples and their children are often ineligible. Similarly, as a result of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act," LGBT families face a much higher tax burden than heterosexual families. A hypothetical same-sex couple with a $45,000 household income would owe the federal government an additional $2,165, whereas a married heterosexual couple would receive a $50 tax refund.

The problems extend to the workplace and the quest for home ownership. A study by Harvard researcher Andras Tilcsik discovered that "gay men encounter significant barriers in the hiring process because...employers more readily disqualify [them]...than equally qualified heterosexual applicants." Moreover, because transgender Americans are frequently excluded from anti-discrimination laws, 19% reported being refused a home, and 11% reported being evicted, because of their gender identity. These are only some of the many economic disadvantages imposed upon LGBT people because of discriminatory laws.

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