A landmark study of LGBTQ-police relations

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    The Survey

    The Policing the Rainbow survey asked over 1,500 LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ individuals–including 803 LGBTQ+ folks about a range of issues related to their experiences with and views of the police. Using NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, which is representative of 97% of U.S. households, we were able to get the first-ever national probability sample of this population on these issues. The result is a groundbreaking study of LGBTQ+ people and policing.

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    Male
    Female
    Transgender
    Non-Binary+

    The Interviews

    In addition to our survey, the Policing the Rainbow team conducted in-depth interviews with a subset of 59 LGBTQ+ survey respondents to better understand how they feel about their encounters with police, how they make sense of the way LGBTQ+ people are policed, and what they imagine for the future of LGBTQ+ safety.

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    People's faces

    About the Study

    Policing the Rainbow is a landmark study of LGBTQ-police relations that uses the tools of social science to illuminate how LGBTQ+ people relate to law enforcement and experience their interactions with police.

    The ultimate goal of Policing the Rainbow is to improve the lives and safety of LGBTQ+ people across the United States. We invite you to learn more about the project by exploring this website. Browse our data, explore the stories shared by participants, and find helpful resources.

    Additional Resources

    Additional resources provide more information on the relationship between LGBTQ+ people and the police and broader legal system.

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