COVID-19 has upended the economy, with unemployment spiking to levels not seen since the Great Depression. A recent study by the Human Rights Coalition confirms that the economic fallout of the pandemic is hitting members of the LGBTQ+ community especially hard, with LGBTQ+ workers 30% more likely to have lost their jobs since May.
Our recent VoicesDMV Community Insights survey found that LGBTQ+ people are also more likely to have experienced discrimination during their job searches.
How can we work to ensure the LGBTQ+ community is able to live and thrive in our region during—and after—the pandemic? This event brought together local leaders to discuss these questions, share lessons learned about addressing COVID-19’s impact on the LGBTQ+ community, and to identify opportunities to support LGBTQ+ workers to achieve economic equity.
Speakers included:
Sultan Shakir, Executive Director, SMYAL
Laura Durso, Chief Learning Officer, Whitman-Walker Institute
Robert Burns, Senior Vice President & Greater Washington & Boston Market Manager – Community Investing & Development, Citi
Benton Murphy, Associate Vice President, Community Investment, Greater Washington Community Foundation
Tonia Wellons, President & CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation
This event is part of The Community Foundation’s Social Justice Town Hall series. The series will provide a forum for the community to learn more about the issues impacting our region and to start developing solutions to rebuild more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.
The series will culminate in an opportunity for our entire region to come together for On the Table Conversations to consider how these issues impact our families and communities. The Community Foundation will then fund Community Action Awards to help transform ideas sparked during these conversations into action–committing at least $100,000 for community organizing, action, and social justice projects that can be implemented individually or collectively.