The legalization of same-sex marriage (SSM) in the UK marked a critical landmark in LGBTQ+ rights. While critiques from queer theory suggest that SSM primarily benefits White, middle-class individuals, this presentation draws on two distinct studies to investigate its broader health impacts on black and ethnic minority lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations. Findings are based on our research recently published in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (https://jech.bmj.com/content/79/2/117) and Archives of Sexual Behavior (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39812992/).

The first study, published in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, examined the physical and mental health outcomes of ethnic minority LGB+ individuals using a nationally representative sample from the UKHLS (2011–2019). By applying the Callaway and Sant’Anna difference-in-differences approach, it found significant improvements in physical health (PCS-12: +2.081, 95% CI: 0.487 to 3.675) and modest reductions in psychological distress (GHQ) following SSM legalization, compared to both ethnic heterosexual and White LGB+ populations.

The second study, published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, focused specifically on Black LGB individuals with lower incomes. It revealed particularly striking mental health benefits, with reductions in psychological distress of 5.31 points (95% CI: -9.52 to -1.11) and decreases in life dissatisfaction of 1.21 points (95% CI: -2.02 to -0.40) relative to their White LGB counterparts. These findings highlight the unique vulnerabilities and substantial gains experienced by Black LGB populations.

Together, these studies demonstrate how SSM legalization improved health outcomes across intersecting axes of race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Beyond presenting these findings, we will also share key insights on working with sexual orientation data using the UKHLS and discuss the methodological challenges of applying quasi-experimental approaches to study policy impacts in marginalized populations.

Co-authors

Chungah Kim; Peiya Cao; Yihong Bai, York University, Canada