What Are LGBT+ Inequalities in Health and Social Support—Why Should We Tackle Them?

Introduction Health inequalities are differences in health experiences and outcomes which arise through the everyday circumstances of people’s lives and the appropriateness of the systems put in place to support them. Such differences stem from social inequalities. As they can be alleviated through social policy, they are a key concern for global public health. Worldwide, they are the focus of governmental efforts to reduce avoidable differences in health (e.g., in the UK, Health equity in England 2020 [1] and in the USA, Healthy People 2030 [2]). The salience of health inequalities in public life cannot be over-emphasized; for example, it has informed policymaking since Engels’ [3] 1845 ground-breaking text on the condition of the working class in England and numerous policy initiatives since then (e.g., in the UK, The Black Report 1979, The Acheson Inquiry 1998, Fair Society, Healthy Lives 2010). In an international context, the World Health Organization (WHO) [4] has developed an equity framework for the Social Determinants of Health which identifies structural determinants including the socio-economic context, the processes of government, public policies, cultural and social value together with people’s protected characteristics. However, while gender, social class and ethnicity are acknowledged as influences on people’s circumstances, living conditions, health behaviors and psychosocial well-being; the influence of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) on health equity for LGBT+ people is overlooked. This contributes to the subordinate status of SOGI in international policymaking, practice developments and the funding of research to inform evidence-based decision-making.