ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated long-standing inequities, both in the United States and throughout the world. For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) persons, the pandemic's impact on public health-care systems and the global economy has highlighted pre-existing challenges in accessing adequate health-care, employment, education, and other societal resources. The concept of representative bureaucracy has long been seen a tool for assessing and tackling inequities for minority groups. Using recent advancements in representative bureaucracy theory (RBT), this chapter demonstrates how a more representative bureaucracy can help address LGBTQ inequities underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic. It first outlines the current contexts surrounding judicial, executive, and legislative protections for LGBTQ persons. Then, it describes areas of pre-existing LGBTQ inequity before examining the effects of the pandemic on LGBTQ communities.
