Disparities in Firearm Violence Exposure by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Purpose: This study aimed to examine associations between various direct and indirect firearm violence exposures by sexual orientation/gender identity status and assess whether observed patterns differ by race and ethnicity or age group. Methods: The 2025 National Survey of Gun Policy ( N = 2977) was fielded from January 6 to 24 using NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. We compared past-year and lifetime firearm violence exposures between sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) respondents ( n = 304) and cisgender heterosexual respondents ( n = 2642) using adjusted logistic regression, stratifying by age group and by race and ethnicity. Results: Lifetime firearm violence exposure prevalence ranged from 2% of cisgender heterosexual and 3% of SGM respondents reporting personal firearm injury to 27% of cisgender heterosexual and 42% of SGM respondents reporting hearing or seeing shootings in one’s current neighborhood. Overall adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were >1 for all past-year and lifetime firearm violence exposures (aOR range: 1.6–3.6), although the estimate for past-year personal firearm injury was imprecise. Disparities persisted across race and ethnicity and age strata. All estimable stratum-specific aORs were >1, although some confidence intervals were wide. Conclusion: SGM individuals reported greater exposure to multiple forms of interpersonal firearm violence and indirect exposure to firearm suicide than cisgender heterosexual individuals. Future research should identify the mechanisms underlying these differences and characterize heterogeneity within SGM populations.