The lives and experiences of LGBTQ people across the United States varies based on where they live. For example, legal and legislative progress on issues affecting LGBTQ people has not advanced equally across the United States. There are variations from state to state and region to region. Positive policy innovations in one state or region may spur similar actions in others. Other states may follow suit with protective laws, but still others may choose instead to respond with retaliatory or harmful efforts. Regionally, states in the Northeast and West are more likely to have high LGBTQ policy scores, while states in the Midwest and Southern regions of the country are more likely to have negative or low scores.
The following resources highlight regional differences for LGBTQ progress across the United States and U.S. territories.
