Gun violence is a major cause of preventable mortality; each year, gun violence accounts for 68% of US homicides and exacts an economic toll of over $229 billion. The presence of guns is associated with increased risk of death, largely because acts of violence, self- or other- directed, are lethal when a gun is used.
Suicide attempts, intimate partner violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence are a significant problem for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people; however, the extent to which guns contribute to LGBT morbidity and mortality is currently unknown. This study aims to fill gaps in knowledge about LGBT gun violence by: 1) generating estimates of gun ownership and attitudes towards gun control by sexual orientation, and, 2) identifying opportunities to improve data collection about LGBT gun violence through a review of surveillance systems used to track gun violence.
