Sometimes it may seem like the world is taking two steps forward and one step back when it comes to granting rights to all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation. Gay marriage is legal in the United States, but some states still attempt to enact laws that indirectly cosign homophobia and discrimination. Not to mention the countries in which being gay could mean jail time or even death. That attitude trickles down to many members of our society, and researchers now know that it has a more detrimental effect on LGBTQ people than previously thought. A study published in Social Science and Medicine examined levels of prejudice in different communities and compared the life expectancy of LGBTQ people living in high-prejudice areas to those living in low-prejudice areas. What they found was disturbing – LGBT people who lived in areas where prejudice was low lived longer than those who lived in high-prejudice areas.