Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ organization, is ramping up efforts to vaccinate the Golden State's queer population against COVID-19, acknowledging the demographic is more at risk than others for hospitalization and death from the disease.LGBTQ+ people of color are bearing a disproportionate effect of the deadly pandemic; they are twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 as non-LGBTQ+ white people, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.
Health disparities affecting all LGBTQ+ people — including health care discrimination and elevated risk factors like higher rates of smoking and drug use — makes the whole community more vulnerable.In response, Equality California Insitute — an affiliate.