106,000 LBTQ Latinas Live in LA County, More Than Half Experience Economic and Food Insecurity
For Immediate Release
October 15, 2025
October 15, 2025
106,000 LBTQ Latinas live in LA County, more than half experience economic and food insecurity
Approximately 106,000 LBTQ Latinas live in Los Angeles County, according to new research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law in partnership with Latinas Futures 2050 Lab. The study examines the lived experiences, well-being, and needs of LBTQ Latinas in the county.
Latinas make up nearly half of all women and girls living in Los Angeles County, and LBTQ identification has grown among them over the past decade, especially among those who are younger and identify as bisexual.
More than half (53%) of LBTQ Latinas in the county live in households with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level, and 51% experienced food insecurity in the past year. More than one in six (16%) have been unhoused at some point in the last five years—more than double the rate for all adults in LA County (7%) and more than four times the rate for GBTQ white men (3%).
The report used representative data collected from 1,006 LGBTQ adults in Los Angeles County who participated in the 2023 Los Angeles County Health Survey (LACHS) conducted by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. The data also included responses from 504 LGBTQ individuals who participated in the Lived Experiences in Los Angeles County (LELAC) Survey, a LACHS call-back survey developed by the Williams Institute.
Results show that despite supportive state and local laws, many LBTQ Latinas in LA County face discrimination and harassment in employment, housing, and health care. For example, one in five (21%) reported that a landlord or realtor refused to sell or rent to them because of their LBTQ identity, and 18% reported being verbally harassed while accessing health care services for the same reason.
LBTQ Latinas in LA County reported higher rates of mental health problems, substance use, and disabilities due to their lived experiences, compared to non-LBTQ Latinas and the overall adult population in LA County. For example, nearly one in four (24%) report having attempted suicide at some point in their lives, compared to 4% of all adults in Los Angeles County, 3% of non-GBTQ white men, 4% of non-LBTQ Latinas, and 6% of GBTQ Latinos.
“LBTQ Latinas in Los Angeles face overlapping barriers tied to their gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, immigration status, and more,” said lead author Brad Sears, Distinguished Senior Scholar of Law and Policy at the Williams Institute. “Meeting their needs means designing programs and services that center LBTQ Latinas, rather than relying on programs built for other parts of the LGBTQ community.”
About two-thirds (67%) of LBTQ Latinas are cisgender bisexual women. They face many of the same economic and health disparities as bisexual women more broadly, including higher rates of poverty, intimate partner violence, and not being out to any of their health care providers. In write-in survey responses, LBTQ Latinas also described experiencing biphobia and erasure from people in the LGBTQ and Latinx communities.
Despite the challenges they face, the majority (81%) of LBTQ Latinas believe that LA County is a good place for LGBTQ people to live and that elected officials are responsive to their needs.
“LBTQ Latinas are already working within their diverse communities to build a stronger, more inclusive LA County—not just for Latinx or queer and trans residents, but for everyone,” said Veronica Terriquez, cofounder of the Latina Futures 2050 Lab and professor of Urban Planning and Chicana/o and Central American Studies at UCLA. “Their main message is clear: Latina LBTQ leaders and community members must be included in policy discussions, and authority figures at all levels need to be reliable and visible allies. Latina voices must be respected and taken seriously.”
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS
Demographics
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63% of LBTQ Latinas in LA County are between 18 and 34 years old, compared to 36% of non-LBTQ Latinas.
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67% of LBTQ Latinas in LA County identify as cisgender bisexual, and 29% as cisgender lesbian.
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LBTQ Latinas are nearly twice as likely to identify as cisgender and bisexual as GBTQ Latinos (33%).
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Over half live in Supervisorial Districts 4 (29%) and 1 (25%).
Family and Friends
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45% of LBTQ Latinas are out to all immediate family, compared to 75% of GBTQ white men.
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47% of LBTQ Latinas over age 50 live alone, compared to 22% of all LA County adults.
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LBTQ Latinas under 50 are over twice as likely to say they want to have children as GBTQ white men (74% vs. 33%).
Religion and Spirituality
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Over two-thirds (68%) of LBTQ Latinas in LA County belong to a spiritual or religious community. The majority (65%) of them are not out to anyone in the community, and only 21% are out to everyone.
Health Disparities
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LBTQ Latinas (49%) are more likely to report experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point in their lives, compared to 19% of all LA County adults, 22% of non-LBTQ Latinas, 27% of GBTQ Latinos, and 17% of non-GBTQ white men.
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41% reported difficulty accessing medical care, compared to 25% of all adults in LA County and 15% of non-GBTQ white men.
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This report was made possible through the generous support of Latina Futures 2050 Lab, a research initiative spearheaded by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) in collaboration with the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI).
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The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research with real-world relevance.
