LGBTQ+ communities
Many LGBTQ+ people experience prejudice and discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity – which can be compounded by intersectionality such as age, race and ethnicity.
This can affect access to the building blocks of health – including secure housing, good work, income, education and supportive communities – and in turn has a direct impact on mental and physical health.
Discrimination – including homophobia and transphobia – can involve harassment, hate crime, exclusion and violence. Experiences of discrimination at work, in services and in local communities can undermine safety, increase stress and harm both mental and physical health.
Evidence consistently shows that LGBTQ+ people face higher rates of poor mental health than the wider population, including higher levels of depression and anxiety, and increased risk of harmful behaviours such as drug or alcohol misuse.
Accessing services can be difficult. There can be a culture gap between the service provider and the LGBTQ+ community, and discrimination and a lack of knowledge can mean the LGBTQ+ community cannot access the services they require.
Social isolation, another known cause of poor health, is also an issue for many LGBTQ+ people.
Stating the facts
- One in seven LGBT people (14%) have avoided treatment for fear of discrimination, and 13% have experienced unequal treatment from healthcare staff because they are LGBT (Stonewall 2024)
- Almost one in five LGBT people (18%) have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. Newer UK research on LGBTQ+ youth homelessness also found that one in four (26%) LGBTQ+ young people surveyed had experienced hidden homelessness (akt 2025)
- Recent UK workplace research found that two in five LGBTQ+ employees (39%) still feel they need to hide their identity at work, while nearly a third (31%) would not feel comfortable reporting discrimination (Stonewall 2025).
Our work with LGBTQ+ communities and health
Through our programmes, we support work with LGBTQ+ communities to address inequalities and improve health and wellbeing. This includes activity that helps people build social connections, access peer and mental health support, and influence the decisions, services and systems that shape their lives.
This now includes specific work through the Health Justice Fund’s Discrimination and Health programme, which supports people experiencing discrimination – including homophobia and transphobia – to take action for change that benefits their health. As part of this, we are working in partnership with MindOut, a LGBTQ mental health service in Sussex, to support community-led action and help ensure that people most affected by discrimination are heard in the decisions that affect their lives and health.
We have been working with our LGBT+ youth groups to create a video to share on social media raising awareness of hate crime. The aims are to increase young people's confidence in reporting hate crimes, whilst also educating the wider community.” Georgia Crossland, The Centre Place, Nottinghamshire.
Georgia Crossland
The Centre Place, Nottinghamshire.
The research on LGBTQ+ communities and health
Stonewall, LGBTQ+ facts and figures
akt, There’s No Place Like Home: The Reality of LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness (2025)
The Trevor Project, 2024 United Kingdom Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People (2024)
Stonewall, Research on LGBTQ+ employees (2025)
LGBTQ+ Youth Groups in Fenland
Organised by The Kite Trust, the project supports young members of the LGBTQ+ community around Fenland in Cambridgeshire.