GAY SEEN | The Gay Gaze | The Subdivision | Digital photo collage | 2026
Seam. Seen. Scene. Seem.
1973 — Homosexuality removed from the DSM as a mental illness.
2003 — Sodomy laws struck down nationwide, Lawrence v. Texas.
2010 — Singer Ricky Martin comes out as gay. Yowza.
2015 — Marriage legalized nationwide, Obergefell v. Hodges.
That’s the good news. Now here’s reality.
2019:
• Same-sex borrowers are 73% more likely to be denied a mortgage than heterosexual couples — despite being no riskier as borrowers.
• Same-sex couples face a 20% mortgage rejection rate. Had they been straight, that number would be 11%.
• Even when approved, same-sex couples pay higher interest rates than straight couples with identical qualifications.
• 26 states still have zero statewide housing protections for LGBTQ people. In half this country, this discrimination isn’t hidden. It’s legal.
Sigh.
— Behan
