INEQUALITY UNDER THE ROOF? AN ANALYSIS OF MATERIAL LIVING CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Abstract

This article analyzes housing infrastructure and access to durable consumer goods among homosexual and heterosexual individuals in Brazil from 2016 to 2022. Using the Household Condition Index (HCI) and the Durable Consumer Goods Index (DCGI) and OLS regressions with PNAD-C microdata, the results show overall similarities but notable disparities. Lesbians had the highest HCI, while gays had the lowest. DCGI values were lower overall, with gays having greater access to durable goods and lesbians the lowest. OLS regression results indicate a negative impact of sexual orientation on both indices, highlighting economic and social vulnerabilities amid Brazil’s political and economic fluctuations.This article analyzes housing infrastructure and access to durable consumer goods among homosexual and heterosexual individuals in Brazil from 2016 to 2023. Employing the Household Condition Index (HCI), the Durable Consumer Goods Index (DCGI), and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions based on PNAD-C microdata, the outcomes reveal general similarities alongside significant disparities. Gay men had the lowest HCI scores, while lesbians had the highest. Conversely, DCGI values were lower overall, with lesbians having the least access to durable goods and gay men having the most.  OLS regression outcomes indicate a negative effect of sexual orientation on both indices, underscoring the economic and social vulnerabilities faced by sexual minorities amid Brazil's political and economic fluctuations.