Sexual Minority Groups and Urban Health

Abstract

No specific research describes either the effect of urban life on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people or the effect of LGBT people on the overall health of cities. However, there is evidence that LGBT people live in cities in large numbers and are, in fact, clustered in many of the country's largest urban areas. Evidence also suggests (though the quality of the research leaves much to be desired) that specific health issues, including barriers to accessing care, particularly affect LGBT people. Furthermore, there is growing acknowledgement that LGBT make specific contributions to the life of cities that may impact the health of urban residents. This chapter begins with a review of the scant evidence that exists about the number, characteristics, and geographic dispersion of LGBT people, proceeds to discuss the effect of cities on LGBT health and their effect on the overall health of cities, summarizes the specific health issues affecting these populations, and proposes some basic strategies to address them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)