Climate Change Risk for LGBT People in the United States
April 2024
Using U.S. Census data and climate risk assessment data from NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), this study provides a geographic analysis to assess the climate risk impacting same-sex couples.
AUTHORS
Lindsay Mahowald
Research Data Analyst
Ari Shaw
Senior Fellow & Director of International Programs
CONTACT US ABOUT THIS STUDY
Highlights
LGBT people in same-sex couple households disproportionately live in coastal areas and cities.
LGBT people are more likely to live in areas with poor infrastructure, worse-built environments, and fewer resources.
Counties with a higher proportion of same-sex couples are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
Report
Executive Summary
Climate change represents a global challenge, but it also exacerbates existing disparities among individuals and communities. LGBT people face discrimination and exclusion, creating unique vulnerabilities that compound and heighten their exposure to climate-related harms. This report provides some of the first empirical documentation as to how LGBT people differentially experience the negative effects of climate change compared to non-LGBT people. Using U.S. Census data and climate risk assessment data from NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), we conducted a geographic analysis to assess the climate risk impacting same-sex couples.
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/climate-change-risk-lgbt/
