As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage, Mary Mancera writes, though society is seemingly supportive of the community, discrimination against LGBTQ+ people remains visible.
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Do you remember where you were on the morning of June 26, 2015? Most LGBTQ+ people do as so many were glued to CNN as it shared breaking news that the Supreme Court had just ruled in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, we can reminisce about watching former Realtor Jim Obergefell celebrate the landmark decision as he talked to then-President Obama.
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The ruling has had a profound positive impact on the LGBTQ+ community and society at large.
The number of same-sex marriages has risen dramatically since then, from 425,357 in 2015 to 774,553 in 2023, according to Pew Research. A recent The Hill report also showed that 72 percent of Americans today support the right of same-sex couples to marry. Pew Research also found that most LGBTQ+ adults believe that society is more accepting of gay, lesbian, transgender and nonbinary people today than a decade ago.
It’s easy to see how the ruling on June 26, 2015, tangibly changed lives.
Discrimination on the rise
As we celebrate today’s 10th anniversary, we understand that while society is seemingly supportive of our community, discrimination against LGBTQ+ people remains visible.
Take a look at where members of the LGBTQ+ community fared in the findings of May 2025’s Pew Research Center report, which showed the percentage of Americans who say there is “a lot” of discrimination against various groups:
- Immigrants who are illegally in the U.S. (57 percent)
- Transgender people (48 percent)
- Gay or lesbian people (37 percent)
- Black people (36 percent)
- Muslims (34 percent)
- Hispanic people (34 percent)
- Jews (30 percent)
- Immigrants who are legally in the U.S. (29 percent)
Discrimination, and the fear of it, is likely why a survey from Monster just reported that 42 percent of LGBTQ+ employees said they feel less comfortable talking about gender identity, expression or sexual orientation at work compared to last year at this time. This matters. It is virtually impossible to improve your career, get promoted or save for a down payment when you are fearful of being yourself at work.
It’s happening in real estate, too
The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance’s most recent report showed that discrimination remains far too rampant in our industry:
- 33 percent of our members report seeing an increase in housing discrimination against LGBTQ+ clients over the past three years — a 46 percent increase since 2022.
- For the first time since the Alliance began tracking the data in 2022, real estate professionals were named as the leading culprit of housing discrimination, ahead of legal forms needing a signature, sellers, landlords and lenders.
This should be a wake-up call for our industry that requires all Realtors to follow the Code of Ethics and, at the same time, practice the “do unto others … ” mantra so many follow every day.
You can imagine why so many of our members were concerned when the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Board of Directors recently altered Article 10.5 of the Code of Ethics. While we applaud NAR leadership for taking questions on an Alliance Town Hall last week, it was another reminder of how much further we have to go in the fight to end discrimination in our society and industry
The Alliance will continue to lead
The real estate profession has been incredibly supportive of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance and its over 3,500-plus members since our founding in 2020. The industry has worked with us when we disagreed with actions and called them out.
That included us drafting the “Article 10 Rule,” which encourages RPACs to refrain from supporting discriminatory elected officials and candidates. If Realtors are not permitted to discriminate based on gender identity and sexual orientation, according to Article 10 of the Code of Ethics, those same professional standards should apply to those whom RPACs support. It’s been eye-opening and rewarding to see so many local and state Realtor associations adopt such language.
On the rare occasion when Realtors openly discriminate, our members have been quick to file ethics complaints. And you may recall our outrage last year when NAR posted a simple “Happy Pride Month” message that attracted far too many bigoted and homophobic responses.
Our fight to end housing discrimination continues, and the Alliance alone can’t do it. We need you, the allies, to assist. And there are plenty of you out there!
By our estimates, there are about 80,000 Realtors with an LGBTQ+ child. That doesn’t include the hundreds of thousands who know that child and/or work with and support their Realtor parent. If you fit in those groups, take one last action this Pride Month and join the Alliance.
The LGBTQ+ buying boom is coming
Real estate professionals should refrain from discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community for obvious moral reasons. We are people who want and deserve the same dignity and respect that all cherish. There is also a business rationale for proper behavior. You may attract more business as Gen Z and millennials continue to move through their homebuying years.
The annual Gallup report states that 23 percent of all Gen Z adults self-identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, while 14 percent of millennials do the same. These millions of young people may eventually buy homes, if they haven’t already. Zillow recently shared that 11 percent of all 2024 homebuyers identified as LGBTQ+. That’s up from 7 percent in 2019 and equates to $182 billion in sales volume.
Rather than fight against the LGBTQ+ community, welcome us. Do not fear us; talk to us. Join our next Alliance Certified Ally course on July 10, and learn about us. Improve your lives and careers with us.
Thanks for your support, and happy Pride!
Mary Mancera, Interim CEO, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance