The Effect of California's Budget Cuts on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People and Their Children

Publication Date: July 2009

Publisher:

Author(s):

Research Area: Social conditions

Keywords: budget; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender

Type: Brief

Coverage: California

Abstract:

California faces a $26.3 million budget shortfall for the approaching fiscal year. In an effort to balance the budget, cuts are likely to some of California's most vital services and programs including Medi-Cal, the State's healthcare option for low-income children, families, elderly, and disabled. The poor, elderly, and disabled will undoubtedly bear a significant share of these cuts. This research note uses the 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to explore the potential consequence of the severe downsizing or elimination of some of California's public benefits programs on the often overlooked low-income lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population. Since that survey predates the current deep recession, the current numbers of LGB recipients is likely to be even higher than the figures presented here.