LGBTQ+ Perspectives on UBI: Security
Image credit - Sharon McCutcheon
Massive strides have been made worldwide by the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) community. We have seen marriage equality blossom all over the planet, and rights for transgender citizens grow tremendously in recent years. Despite these victories, LGBTQ+ people still live in unsafe and insecure environments even in the UK, a country at the forefront of LGBTQ+ rights.
UBI Lab LGBTQ+ was set up as part of the UBI Lab Network because we believe that a Universal Basic Income (UBI), whilst no panacea, will go a long way towards improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people. In this article, the first of a series exploring LGBTQ+ perspectives on UBI, I’ll look at how our community still suffers from insecurity today and explain why we believe a UBI is an important first step towards overcoming these issues. I’m not going to write about the logistics of basic income implementation, as there are many different proposals, each with their own costs and benefits, and I won’t talk down the positive effects of other policy proposals that hope to improve security and safety rights for LGBTQ+ people. What I will do though, is lay out the facts and explain why we believe a UBI is a key first step towards guaranteeing a safe and secure public and private environment for LGBTQ+ people.
According to Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain Trans report, 28% of trans respondents who had been in a relationship in the year running up to the study had experienced domestic abuse from a partner. If we compare that to adults in the general population – 4.2% – we can see that transgender people are at disproportionate risk of domestic abuse. Life at home for LGBTQ+ people can also be difficult as they may be living with homophobic or transphobic family members, and feel unable to live openly and authentically. The LGBT National Survey, conducted by the government, reports that 24% of the 108,000 respondents “were not open at all about being LGBT with family members that they lived with (excluding partners)”. From personal experience, the fear of not knowing how your family will react is paralysing. I can’t even begin to imagine the experiences of those less fortunate than myself who, once out – whether they have come out by their own accord or been outed against their will, as 14% of respondents were – are faced with hostility from the people they live with. The number of people who had experienced an incident with someone they lived with due to their sexual orientation or gender identity amounted to a shocking 29% in 2017.
A basic income would give those who are not safe at home, whether from domestic abuse or homophobia, a much easier way to escape their situation. Amelia Womack, the Green Party’s Deputy Leader, wrote in The Independent that “by giving everyone financial independence, UBI would ensure no woman is ever dependent on her partner to meet her basic needs. And for those in abusive relationships, one of the barriers against leaving would be removed.” A UBI would be transformational for anyone in this situation, but even more so for the transgender community when you look at the statistics above. For those unable to live in their house any longer for fear of their own safety, a basic income would put money in their pockets almost immediately, without the need for the endless bureaucracy and means-testing that benefits require. Away from home, the fear of attack from just being out in public and holding a partner’s hand is enormous, with more than two thirds of LGBT respondents saying they had “avoided holding hands with a same-sex partner for fear of a negative reaction from others.” With many respondents saying they felt safer moving to bigger cities, a basic income would provide the cash essential to such a decision. Of course, there are many barriers to feeling safe as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Basic income is not a silver bullet. But thanks to its unconditionality, a UBI can be introduced with relative ease and with less red tape than other policies. It would go a long way towards quickly ensuring the safety and security of many LGBTQ+ people.
The ‘Poverty: It's a sin - a roundtable on UBI and the LGBTQ+ community’ is on the 28th of February 2021 at 16:00hrs GMT.
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a regular and unconditional payment given to everyone in society regardless of their income, wealth or work.
It guarantees a basic level of financial security for everyone, and makes sure nobody in society falls through the cracks. But how would a UBI help the LGBTQ+ community specifically, both in the UK and around the world?
Join UBI Lab LGBTQ+ for an informal roundtable discussion. After a short introduction to the basics of UBI, we'll be the important question. Free, all welcome. To register - Book HERE
More about the author
David Rozental-Devis - @blinkx2100
David (they/them) is a final year undergraduate student of Politics with Human Rights at the University of Essex. Since February 2019 they have been an advocate for UBI, founding the UK Yang Gang and International Yang Gang groups in support of ex US Presidential Candidate and current New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, for whom UBI is a core piece of his campaigns.
Interested in joining a UK-based advocacy group, David joined the UBI Lab Network in August 2020, joining UBI Lab Youth and Co-Founding UBI Lab LGBTQ+ that same month. As someone interested primarily in human rights, and more specifically LGBTQ+ Rights worldwide, David sees UBI as having potential to be a central part of the global LGBTQ+ Rights movement.