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Looking Ahead to 2021: The Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQI Movement

The unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way individuals, families, and communities live, learn, work, and connect. For organizations serving LGBTQI people in the United States, it is clear that their financial outlooks and stability for 2021 will continue to be impacted by the pandemic.

To understand the ways LGBTQI and allied social justice organizations have adapted to the pandemic and what their plans are in the new year, MAP conducted several surveys. Using survey data from November 2020, Looking Ahead to 2021: The Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQI Movement provides the broadest view of the pandemic’s impact, allowing organizations to reflect on changes over the past eight months.

While LGBTQI and allied organizations are demonstrating the ability to adapt to the financial challenges that COVID-19 has meant for fundraising, corporate and foundation giving, and beyond, it is vital that funders and individual donors think strategically and act thoughtfully to ensure the strength and continuity of the movement. As organizations continue to address the needs of their communities in 2021, these funding streams will be vital lifelines for their work to achieve LGBTQ equality.

Recommended citation: 
Movement Advancement Project. January 2021. Looking Ahead to 2021: The Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQI Movement. www.lgbtmap.org/2021-covid-impact-report. Accessed [date of access].

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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.

Gender Identity Policy Tally

“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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