West LA Times

A recent study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has highlighted increased risks of firearm violence among LGBT adults in California. The research, based on data from the 2021 and 2022 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), reveals that 416,000 LGBT adults in the state seriously considered suicide in the past year. This includes an estimated 31,600 who live in households with firearms.

The study found that people of color and younger adults within the LGBT community were more likely to be concerned about being victims of gun violence compared to their white and older counterparts. Additionally, over 82,000 bisexual individuals experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner last year, including an estimated 7,600 living in households with firearms.

Despite a smaller percentage of LGBT adults having firearms in their households compared to non-LGBT adults, they reported higher rates of risk for firearm-related injury or mortality. This includes serious thoughts of suicide and intimate partner violence. According to Kerith Conron, lead author and former Blachford-Cooper Research Director at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, "What we found in our study demonstrates a clear need for enhanced suicide and violence prevention efforts focused on LGBT people in California."

The study also showed that more than half (55%) of LGBT adults reported being "somewhat" or "very worried" about becoming victims of gun violence compared to 45% of non-LGBT adults. In total, California is home to approximately 2.9 million LGBT adults.

The research indicates that serious thoughts about suicide were more prevalent among LGBT individuals across all racial and ethnic groups compared to non-LGBT individuals. An estimated 21% of Black LGBT adults had serious suicidal thoughts last year, while nearly a quarter (24%) of American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, multiracial or other race respondents reported similar thoughts.

Sean Tan, senior public administration analyst at UCLA CHPR, commented on these findings: “It’s not surprising that more LGBT people of color fear being a victim of gun violence given their higher levels of exposure to violence and other hostility.”

Among those surveyed for CHIS 2022, nearly one in five (19%) reported experiencing a hate crime or incident during their lifetimes. The study also notes that greater exposure to violence and harassment correlates with higher rates of depression and serious thoughts about suicide among LGBT individuals.

Tan and Conron's findings indicate that intimate partner violence is more common among LGBT adults (4.1%) compared with non-LGBT adults (2.4%). Physical or sexual intimate partner violence included various forms such as being pushed or physically forced into unwanted sex by an intimate partner.

Reflecting on broader implications since the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016, Tan said researchers have sought to understand how LGBTQ populations are affected by firearm violence.

According to the study's data:

- 14% of LGBT adults had firearms in their households.

- Among those with firearms at home, 8% reported keeping them loaded and unlocked.

- Statewide data shows there are approximately 3,000 firearm deaths annually in California with another 9,000 injuries caused by firearms each year.

Other key findings include:

- Higher likelihoods for firearm ownership among rural vs urban dwelling LGBT adults (28% vs. 13%).

- Younger age groups within the LGBT community expressed greater concern over potential victimization by firearm violence.

Conron emphasized the importance of targeted outreach based on these findings but noted significant gaps remain due to lack of demographic information related to sexual orientation and gender identity on death certificates and police reports.

“This gap is highly problematic because LGBT people are at heightened risk of violence,” Conron stated. Ninez Ponce added that studying firearm violence as a matter of public health is crucial given these elevated risks within the community.

Ponce along with Michael Rodriguez served as co-principal investigators on studies examining firearms among understudied populations.