LGBTQ+ Americans Are One of the Most Vaccinated Groups

America has only three cities (that require indoor vaccinations): New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is (in the) Cleveland (Clinic) - Tennessee Williams 

Ok, obviously that isn’t the original quote, but it’s eerily close to one of history’s most important queer writers Tennessee Williams famous saying. 

Here are the facts.

1. NYC, San Francisco, and New Orleans are the three large American cities that require vaccines for people to participate in high risk indoor activities. 
2. The FDA fully authorized Pfizer’s COVID vaccine on August 23rd, opening the door for more vaccine mandates. 
3. The Delta variant is spreading rapidly and scientists are unsure of the trajectory of the virus.
4. Cities, states, and private employers are ratcheting up restrictions to curb the spread of COVID. 

While only 3 cities are currently instating vaccine mandates, it stands to reason that many more will follow suit, especially with full FDA approval of Pfizer’s shot. Since only 72% of Americans 12+ are partially or fully vaccinated, that leaves around 28% of Americans that soon might not be able to come to your destination or business. 

The way I look at it, there are two ways businesses can cope with vaccine requirements. Engage in mass marketing and know that only about 72% of people who you are reaching are actually able to patronize your business OR be intentional in your targeting and go after those groups that have a higher vaccine rate. Plus, segmenting your audience has been considered best practice for a while now, so targeting those groups with high vaccination rates is clearly the winning strategy.

Segmenting vaccine data among subgroups can be a little tricky, but luckily a crucial survey revealed that about 92% of LGBTQ+ Americans have received at least one COVID shot. A number about 20 points higher than the population at large. Not only are LGBTQ+ people more vaccinated than their straight counterparts, they are some of the most likely to begin resuming normal life after setbacks such COVID-19.

So, what are you waiting for? Start reaching out to this growing and crucial audience!

*COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving crisis. Some information may be outdated by the time you read this article. The article was originally published on September 9th, 2021.