Poorer

Nationally, 24 percent of lesbians and bisexual women are poor compared to 19 percent of heterosexual women. 15 percent of gay and bisexual men nationally are poor compared to 13 percent of heterosexual men.

Researchers theorized gays and lesbians could be more vulnerable to poverty because of employment discrimination, lack of insurance, less family support and no access to marriage and the more than 1,100 rights and benefits it affords.