In the United States (US), gun violence is a major cause of preventable mortality. The presence of guns is associated with increased risk of death since violence whether directed at self or others is more lethal than other means when firearms are used. As a result of the high prevalence of gun violence in the US, there is a high probability that a person’s social network includes a victim of gun violence. LGBTQ+ youth and young adults of color experience cyclical, interlocking systems of structural and institutional oppression rooted in racism, heterosexism, and transphobia. Information about the extent that firearms have been used against and by LGBTQ+ youth and young adults to inflict harm on self or others is currently lacking. Notably, information about sexual orientation and gender identity is not collected on death certificates, nor in most public systems and registries that track injury. These gaps limit existing knowledge about the extent and characteristics of gun violence and firearm injuries experienced by LGBTQ+ youth and young adults of color and inhibit efforts to integrate LGBTQ+ youth of color in firearm injury prevention efforts.
