Equity

Equity is the practice of distributing resources, opportunities, and support according to what different people actually need. It differs from equality, which gives everyone the same thing regardless of circumstance. Equity recognizes that people start from different places and face different barriers, so fairness sometimes requires unequal levels of help to reach comparable outcomes. In LGBTQ+ contexts, an equity approach pays particular attention to those facing overlapping forms of marginalization, such as trans and nonbinary people, queer people of color, disabled community members, and those with low incomes. Equity is one of the three pillars of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) framework used by many organizations and institutions.