How Many People are LGBT? by Gary J. Gates, Williams Distinguished Scholar

Published by: Michele, Therapist, Site Owner on 29th May 2011 | View all blogs by Michele, Therapist, Site Owner
How Many People are GLBT?  By Gary J Gates

Executive Summary

Increasing numbers of population-based surveys in the United States and across the world include questions that allow for an estimate of the size of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population. This research brief discusses challenges associated with collecting better information about the LGBT community and reviews eleven recent US and international surveys that ask sexual orientation or gender identity questions. The brief concludes with estimates of the size of the LGBT population in the United States.

Key findings from the research brief are as follows:

  • An estimated 3.5% of adults in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and an estimated 0.3% of adults are transgender.
  • This implies that there are approximately 9 million LGBT Americans, a figure roughly equivalent to the population of New Jersey.
  • Among adults who identify as LGB, bisexuals comprise a slight majority (1.8% compared to 1.7% who identify as lesbian or gay).
  • Women are substantially more likely than men to identify as bisexual. Bisexuals comprise more than half of the lesbian and bisexual population among women in eight of the nine surveys considered in the brief. Conversely, gay men comprise substantially more than half of gay and bisexual men in seven of the nine surveys.
  • Estimates of those who report any lifetime same-sex sexual behavior and any same-sex sexual attraction are substantially higher than estimates of those who identify as LGB. An estimated 19 million Americans (8.2%) report that they have engaged in same-sex sexual behavior and nearly 25.6 million Americans (11%) acknowledge at least some same-sex sexual attraction.
  • Understanding the size of the LGBT population is a critical first step to informing a host of public policy and research topics. The surveys highlighted in this report demonstrate the viability of sexual orientation and gender identity questions on large national population-based surveys. Adding these questions to more national, state, and local data sources is critical to developing research that enables a better understanding of the understudied LGBT community.
Full article at:  http://www3.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/pdf/How-many-people-are-LGBT-Final.pdf

Comments

1 Comment

  • Kahlil
    by Kahlil 11 months ago
    thanks for posting this Michele. it's very interesting. i'm wondering if there might not be more transgender adults than what they're saying. i know i've never taken a survey which asked if i'm transgender. also, there could be a lot of older adults who haven't yet consciously realized that they are transgender ('late bloomers' like me). still, i'm amazed that with such a tiny proportion of 0.3% of the population, there has been any progress at all in the united states in equal rights for and acceptance of transgender people. as such a tiny minority, we don't have much in the way of political or economic clout, so i'm not sure how much more progress for us there will be, if any. right now, at the federal level, we have some fairly powerful friends, but that can change at any time with a change of administrations. guess we just have to keep voting for good, intelligent people & hope enough other voters do the same.
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