LGBTQ+ Digital Divide: More Than 8 Million Households Without Internet Access

Brown: Artificial intelligence and augmented reality are just a few technological advancements shaping daily life. These advancements create a greater digital divide for unserved and underserved communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. Hello. I'm Dara Brown. My pronouns are she/her. This is "Getting Connected," powered by Comcast Newsmakers. We're on location at the Net Inclusion 2024 conference in Philadelphia. And joining me to share how the digital divide affects the LGBTQ+ community is Arin Rook. They are a Digital Navigator at LGBT Tech. Arin, thank you so much for being here.

Rook: Thank you for having me.

Brown: What are some of the unique challenges that the LGBTQ community is facing by accessing broadband?

Rook: Yeah, so at LGBT Tech, through our research and our work, we've been able to identify that well over eight million LGBTQ households in the US may be struggling right now to access affordable broadband internet. And so, that, coupled with the fact that we've got really an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation that has been proposed over the last couple of years, you know, it's really critical that we are able to get technology in the hands of LGBTQ Americans so that if access at, you know, communal points, such as libraries or other points, is cut off through legislation, that folks are able to still access, you know, the resources they need. And it's very critical that those folks are able to access technology and have personal technology that they can use safely. And when it comes to accessing broadband internet, it's really critical that we get our community connected to affordable options so that they are able to safely search for the information they need and really build community during this time.

Brown: And how is LGBT Tech breaking down those barriers?

Rook: Yeah, so we have several programs that's part of LGBT Tech. We have a Digital Navigator program which I'm working on right now, and that program is really working with LGBTQ centers and grassroots organizations. We've been going on the ground and training caseworkers and staff and volunteers about things like accessing affordable internet, ways they can get their own communities, you know, access to the internet, as well. We also have a PowerOn program which does tech distribution. So, we have over $400,000 worth of printers, laptops, and PCs, and other tech that we have distributed to LGBTQ centers all across the US, as well as some US territories. And that technology is used to, you know, build computer labs for these centers, to have staff, be able to have iPads or other tablets and things that they can use to, you know, connect with their clients and things like that. We've also been doing a lot of digital skills development through our Digital Navigator program. And we're building that up to really make sure we're empowering our community with the skills they need to be safe online, as well as get that access.

Brown: And what is next for LGBT Tech? What's next on the horizon?

Rook: Yeah, we have a lot going on. We're really excited to continue to grow our team. We've really seen a lot of growth in the last few months. Our policy team has grown. Our programs teams have grown. So we're really looking to continue to grow our Digital Navigator program out, to continue to work on the tech distribution side. And then, really, we're looking to grow into other areas of technology, such as XR and AI, and making sure that our community is considered, you know, in the AI space, and also protected and, you know, really safe in that realm. So, lots of exciting things coming.

Brown: Arin Rook, thank you so much for joining me today.

Rook: Thank you so much for having me.

Brown: And thanks to you, as well, for watching. For more conversations about digital equity and broadband expansion, visit GettingConnected.com. I'm Dara Brown. ♪♪