Pride & Poverty
Too many LGBTQ+ people in Ireland are struggling to make ends meet, and too often, they are doing so in silence. For years, public narratives such as the “pink pound” have suggested that LGBTQ+ communities are economically secure. This research shows a very different reality. LGBTQ+ people are experiencing enforced deprivation at nearly three times the national rate, with many worrying about bills, cutting back on essentials, and facing housing insecurity and discrimination at work.
The findings make clear that this is not about individual choices or isolated hardship. Poverty is shaped by systems: low and insecure incomes, high living costs, gaps in social protection, and policies that fail to account for LGBTQ+ lives. When LGBTQ+ people are invisible in poverty data and policy, their needs are overlooked and inequality deepens.
This report fills a critical gap in evidence in Ireland. It centres lived experience, highlights who is most at risk, and makes one thing clear: tackling poverty means recognising everyone it affects. If Ireland is serious about reducing inequality, LGBTQ+ people must be visible within that work. A fair society cannot afford blind spots.
