Gun Ownership and Fear of Gun Violence Among LGBT Adults in California

Summary: After the Pulse Night Club Mass Shooting in Orlando, Florida in 2016, whose victims and survivors were predominantly LGBT adults of color, gun violence prevention advocates and researchers sought to understand how LGBT populations are affected by gun violence in the U.S as well as determine policies and strategies that could potentially save lives in the future. While gun violence is most often associated with mass shootings, it is a broader phenomenon that includes any instances of firearm-related injury or death such as suicides and homicides.

This infographic utilizes 2021–2022 pooled data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to illustrate risks and perceptions regarding gun violence among LGBT populations.

Findings: A smaller proportion of LGBT adults (14.4% or 412,000 people) than non-LGBT adults (18.0% or 4,735,000 people) have a gun in their household. Among people who had a gun in the household, similar proportions of LGBT adults (7.6%) and non-LGBT (7.9%) adults reported that a gun in their household is unlocked and loaded. More LGBT people are worried about being a victim of gun violence than their non-LGBT counterparts (54.6% vs. 44.5%, respectively). Among the LGBT population, a larger proportion of adults of color are worried about gun victimization than their white, non-Hispanic peers as are a larger proportion of adults ages 18–24 (60.1%) compared with adults 65 and older (35.8%).

A related policy brief will be released in late August/early September.