Despite significant achievements in recent years for the protection and provision of equal rights for LGBTQI+ people, there are still significant barriers to full inclusion in society. Around the world, LGBTQI+ issues are often co-opted by political parties and used to stoke anxieties about national or cultural identity, Western influence or other social, economic or political challenges. LGBTQI+ individuals also face barriers to housing, education, medical care and other critical services, while social stigma serves to isolate them from their family and community. In the United States alone, LGBTQI+ individuals, particularly youth and transgender people, are estimated to make up nearly 40% of those experiencing homelessness, making them even more vulnerable to things like substance abuse, depression or anxiety and assault.
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