This important PSA raises awareness on persistent LGBTQ+ housing discrimination

A new public service announcement is shining a light on housing inequality that persists for LGBTQ+ people in over half of US states. In addition to eye-opening data, the campaign highlights real-life stories behind the statistics, putting a human face to the lives affected.

The 60-second PSA comes from the Ad Council as part of their ongoing Love Has No Labels campaign. The near decade-old campaign has earned millions of views and an Emmy award for its visualization of issues facing the LGBTQ+ community.

The latest ad, titled “A Place to Call Home,” starts with a montage of picturesque houses and various families enjoying comfort and safety within them. The images are accompanied by soft piano music and a voiceover reciting poetry about the importance of home.

Midway through, the ad is interrupted by a slamming door. Against a black screen, statistics spell out the reality for LGBTQ+ homeseekers behind the American dream. “In over 50% of US states, you could legally be denied housing if you are LGBTQ+.”

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According to the campaign’s website, the statistic comes from 2024 data from the Movement Advancement Project. Specifically, 28 states lack laws that protect LGBTQ+ from being denied housing and other services based on their identity. In addition, up to 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+, per the National Coalition for the Homeless.

But the people who make up these statistics are more than just numbers. One person the campaign highlights is Dawn Harris, a trans nonbinary visual artist who was forced to move from his home in an LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood due to an upscale in harassment and assaults.

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“Your home is where you’re supposed to feel the most safe; it’s supposed to be where you recharge, it’s where you sleep,” Dawn said. “The world is already unsafe for trans people—if you don’t have a safe home then what can you do?”

Emma Turzillo is a trans woman who fell in love with New York City shortly after moving there, eventually walking every block in the city. When she found an apartment in Brooklyn, the landlord began to sexually harass her. Due to the difficulty of finding affordable housing in the city and the fact that she was in the middle of getting her ID documents changed, she was reluctant to leave, but she ultimately had to when the harassment turned severe.

“The need for safe housing is especially important for trans folks,” Emma said. “It takes a lot of time and effort to find a good housing situation. Because our relationships with family tend to be estranged, if housing is unstable, there aren’t backup options. And even in terms of roommates, there’s always a risk that people you’ll find will be transphobic.”