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LGBT demographics of the United States

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The demographics of sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States have dramatically changed since the Stonewall riots in 1969, which marked the modern LGBT rights movement. Beginning in the gay villages of various port cities of the United States, the presence of openly LGBT people (the majority of whom had previously publicly identified as heterosexual due to cultural pressure against homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender identity) gradually emerged into most urban areas as LGBT-positive community institutions were established, more LGBT persons experienced less overall pressure against their identities by their peers and various anti-LGBT legal provisions were dismantled.

According to a Williams Institute review conducted in April 2011, approximately 3.5% of American adults identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual, while 0.3% are transgender—which would correspond to approximately 11.7 million Americans as of the 2010 Census.[1] However, a significantly higher percentage acknowledge having same-sex attraction without identifying as LGB. This makes it difficult to accurately record the demographics of LGBT people in the U.S.

Since such unions were first recognized in California in the 1970s, the number of legally recognized same-sex unions in the United States have also grown on a county-by-county and state-by-state basis.

State-by-state summary

Pop.
Rank 		%
Rank 		State or Territory 2012 LGBT
Percentage
Estimate[2] 		2012 State
Population
Estimate[3] 		2012 LGBT
Population
Estimate[4] 		2000
Same-Sex Couple
Households[5][6] 		2010
Same-Sex Couple
Households[7][8] 		2000 to 2010
Couple Households
Growth[9] 		Same-Sex
Marriage
Legal Status[10]
1 10  California 4.0% 38,041,430 1,521,657 92,138 125,516 36.2% Legal
2 32  Texas 3.3% 26,059,203 859,954 42,912 67,413 57.1% Constitutional Ban
3 14  New York 3.8% 19,570,261 743,669 46,490 65,303 40.5% Legal
4 23  Florida 3.5% 19,317,568 676,115 41,048 65,601 59.8% Constitutional Ban
5 16  Illinois 3.8% 12,875,255 489,260 22,887 32,469 41.9% Civil Unions
6 21  Ohio 3.6% 11,544,225 415,592 18,937 28,602 51.0% Constitutional Ban
7 15  Michigan 3.8% 9,883,360 375,568 15,368 21,782 41.7% Constitutional Ban
8 22  Georgia 3.5% 9,919,945 347,198 19,288 29,844 54.7% Constitutional Ban
9 44  Pennsylvania 2.7% 12,763,536 344,615 21,166 33,602 58.8% Statutory Ban
10 18  New Jersey 3.7% 8,864,590 327,990 16,604 24,112 45.2% Civil Unions
11 31  North Carolina 3.3% 9,752,073 321,818 16,198 27,250 68.2% Constitutional Ban
12 7  Massachusetts 4.4% 6,646,144 292,430 17,099 246,049 52.3% Legal
13 11  Washington 4.0% 6,897,012 275,880 15,900 24,278 52.7% Legal
14 13  Arizona 3.9% 6,553,255 255,578 12,332 20,948 69.9% Constitutional Ban
15 19  Indiana 3.7% 6,537,334 241,881 10,219 16,428 60.8% Statutory Ban
16 37  Virginia 2.9% 8,185,867 237,390 13,802 20,540 48.8% Constitutional Ban
17 30  Missouri 3.3% 6,021,988 198,726 9,428 15,242 61.7% Constitutional Ban
18 29  Maryland 3.3% 5,884,563 194,191 11,243 16,987 51.1% Legal
19 4  Oregon 4.9% 3,899,353 191,068 8,932 14,979 67.7% Civil Unions
20 12  Kentucky 3.9% 4,380,415 170,836 7,114 11,572 62.7% Constitutional Ban
21 48  Tennessee 2.6% 6,456,243 167,862 10,189 16,322 60.2% Constitutional Ban
22 34  Colorado 3.2% 5,187,582 166,003 10,045 16,114 60.4% Civil Unions
23 41  Wisconsin 2.8% 5,726,398 160,339 8,232 13,630 65.6% Enumerated Rights
24 36  Minnesota 2.9% 5,379,139 155,995 9,147 13,718 50.0% Legal
25 33  Louisiana 3.2% 4,601,893 147,261 8,808 12,153 38.0% Constitutional Ban
26 38  South Carolina 2.9% 4,723,723 136,988 7,609 11,532 51.6% Constitutional Ban
27 43  Alabama 2.8% 4,822,023 135,017 8,109 11,259 38.8% Constitutional Ban
28 27  Oklahoma 3.4% 3,814,820 129,704 5,763 9,802 70.1% Constitutional Ban
29 9  Nevada 4.2% 2,758,931 115,875 4,973 9,321 87.4% Civil Unions
30 20  Kansas 3.7% 2,885,905 106,778 3,973 6,176 55.4% Constitutional Ban
31 24  Arkansas 3.5% 2,949,131 103,220 4,423 7,004 58.4% Constitutional Ban
32 25  Connecticut 3.4% 3,590,347 103,220 7,386 10,747 45.5% Legal
33 42  Iowa 2.8% 3,074,186 86,077 3,698 6,540 76.9% Legal
34 49  Mississippi 2.6% 2,984,926 77,608 4,774 6,286 31.7% Constitutional Ban
35 47  Utah 2.7% 2,855,287 77,093 3,370 5,814 72.5% Constitutional Ban
36 2  Hawaii 5.1% 1,392,313 71,008 2,389 4,248 77.8% Civil Unions
37 5  Maine 4.8% 1,329,192 63,801 3,394 5,405 59.3% Legal
38 1  District of Columbia 10.0% 632,323 63,232 3,678 5,146 39.9% Legal
39 40  New Mexico 2.9% 2,085,538 60,481 4,496 7,784 73.1% Neutral
40 35  West Virginia 3.1% 1,855,413 57,518 2,916 5,240 79.7% Statutory Ban
41 45  Nebraska 2.7% 1,855,525 50,033 2,332 3,749 60.8% Constitutional Ban
42 17  New Hampshire 3.7% 1,320,718 48,867 2,703 4,635 71.5% Legal
43 6  Rhode Island 4.5% 1,050,292 47,263 2,471 3,664 48.3% Legal
44 46  Idaho 2.7% 1,595,728 43,085 1,873 3,245 73.3% Constitutional Ban
45 8  South Dakota 4.4% 833,354 36,668 826 1,390 68.3% Constitutional Ban
46 26  Delaware 3.4% 917,092 31,181 1,868 3,352 79.4% Legal
47 3  Vermont 4.9% 626,011 30,675 1,933 2,798 44.7% Legal
48 50  Montana 2.6% 1,005,141 26,134 1,218 2,295 88.4% Constitutional Ban
49 28  Alaska 3.4% 731,449 24,869 1,180 1,851 56.9% Constitutional Ban
50 39  Wyoming 2.9% 576,412 16,716 807 1,147 42.1% Statutory Ban
51 51  North Dakota 1.7% 699,628 11,894 703 1,113 58.3% Constitutional Ban
— — Total 3.5% 313,914,040 10,986,991[11] 594,391 901,997 51.8% —

By locality

The American cities with the highest gay populations are New York City with 272,493, Los Angeles with 154,270, Chicago with 114,449, and San Francisco with 94,234, as estimated by the Williams Institute in 2006.[12] However, one is much more likely to encounter gay residents in San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Boston as a higher percentage of those cities' residents are gay.

The U.S. metropolitan areas with the most gay residents are the New York, New York–Northern New Jersey–Long Island, New York metro with 568,903; followed by Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana, California with 442,211; and the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin metro with 288,748.[13]

The charts below show a list of the top U.S. cities, metropolitan areas, and states with the highest population of gay residents and the highest percentage of gay residents (GLB population as a percentage of total residents).[12] The numbers given are estimates based on American Community Survey data for the year 2000.[14]

By city

City Pop.
Rank 		%
Rank 		2006
LGB
Percentage
Estimate[15] 		2006
LGB
Population
Estimate[16]
Atlanta — 3 12.8% 39,805
 Boston 10 5 12.9% 50,450
 Chicago 3 — 5.7% 114,449
Dallas 8 — 7.0% 58,473
Denver — 8 8.2% 33,698
 Houston 6 — 4.4% 61,976
 Los Angeles 2 — 5.6% 154,270
 Minneapolis — 4 12.5% 34,295
 New York City 1 — 4.5% 272,493
Orlando — 10 7.7% 12,508
Pheonix 5 — 6.4% 63,222
Portland, OR — 7 8.8% 35,413
Sacramento — 6 9.8% 32,108
San Diego 7 — 6.8% 61,945
San Francisco 4 1 15.4% 94,234
Seattle 9 2 15.4% 57,993
Washington, D.C. — 9 8.1% 32,599

By metropolitan area

%
Rank 		Metropolitin Area 2006
LGB % Est. 		Pop.
Rank 		2006
LGB Pop. Est.
1 San Francisco Bay Area 8.2% 4 256,313
2 Seattle Metro. Area 6.5% 11 154,835
3 Greater Boston 6.2% 5 201,344
4 Portland Metro. Area 6.1% 21 94,027
5 Tampa Bay Area 5.9% 16 119,044
6 Greater Austin 5.9% 29 61,732
7 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood 5.8% 19 99,027
8 Minneapolis–Saint Paul 5.7% 15 130,472
9 Greater Orlando 5.7% 24 81,272
10 Greater Hartford 5.6% 33 49,000

By consolidated metropolitan statistical area

Pop.
Rank 		Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area 2006
LGB
Pop. 		2006
LGB
%
1 New York Metro. Area 568,903 2.6%
2 Los Angeles Metro. Area 442,211 2.7%
3 Chicago Metro. Area 288,478 3.2%
4 San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont 256,313 3.6%
5 Greater Boston 201,344 3.4%
6 Washington, D.C. Metro. Area 191,959 2.5%
7 Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex 183,718 3.5%
8 Miami Metro. Area 183,346 4.7%
9 Atlanta Metro. Area 180,168 4.3%
10 Delaware Valley 179,459 2.8%

Statistics by year

1990s

1990

"Homosexuality/Heterosexuality: Concepts of Sexual Orientation" published findings of 13.95% of males and 4.25% of females having had either "extensive" or "more than incidental" homosexual experience.[17]

1990

An extensive study on sexuality in general was conducted in the United States. A significant portion of the study was geared towards homosexuality. The results found that 8.6% of women and 10.1% of men had at one point in their life experienced some form of homosexuality. Of these, 87% of women and 76% of men reported current same-sex attractions, 41% of women and 52% of men had sex with someone of the same gender, and 16% of women and 27% of men identified as LGBT.[18]

1990–92

The American National Health Interview Survey conducts household interviews of the civilian non-institutionalized population. The results of three of these surveys, done in 1990–91 and based on over 9,000 responses each time, found between 2–3% of the people responding said yes to a set of statements which included "You are a man who has had sex with another man at some time since 1977, even one time."[19]

1992

The National Health and Social Life Survey asked 3,432 respondents whether they had any homosexual experience. The findings were 1.3% for women within the past year, and 4.1% since 18 years; for men, 2.7% within the past year, and 4.9% since 18 years.[20]

1993

The Alan Guttmacher Institute of sexually active men aged 20–39 found that 2.3% had experienced same-sex sexual activity in the last ten years, and 1.1% reported exclusive homosexual contact during that time.[21]

1993

Researchers Samuel and Cynthia Janus surveyed American adults aged 18 and over by distributing 4,550 questionnaires; 3,260 were returned and 2,765 were usable. The results of the cross-sectional nationwide survey stated men and women who reported frequent or ongoing homosexual experiences were 9% of men and 5% of women.[22]

1994

Laumann et al. analyzed the National Health and Social Life Survey of 1992 which had surveyed 3,432 men and women in the United States between the ages of 18 and 59 and reported that the incidence rate of homosexual desire was 7.7% for men and 7.5% for women.[23]

1998

A random survey of 1672 males (number used for analysis) aged 15 to 19. Subjects were asked a number of questions, including questions relating to same-sex activity. This was done using two methods—a pencil and paper method, and via computer, supplemented by a verbal rendition of the questionnaire heard through headphones—which obtained vastly different results. There was a 400% increase in males reporting homosexual activity when the computer-audio system was used: from a 1.5% to 5.5% positive response rate; the homosexual behavior with the greatest reporting difference (800%, adjusted) was to the question "Ever had receptive anal sex with another male": 0.1% to 0.8%.[24]

2000s

2003

Smith's 2003 analysis of National Opinion Research Center data[25] states that 4.9% of sexually active American males have had a male sexual partner since age 18, but that "since age 18 less than 1% are [exclusively] gay and 4+% bisexual". In the top twelve urban areas however, the rates are double the national average. Smith adds, "It is generally believed that including adolescent behavior would further increase these rates." The NORC data has been criticised because the original design sampling techniques were not followed, and depended upon direct self-report regarding masturbation and same sex behaviors. (For example, the original data in the early 1990s reported that approximately 40% of adult males had never masturbated—a finding inconsistent with some other studies.)[citation needed]

2005

The American Community Survey from the U.S. Census estimated 776,943 same-sex couples in the country as a whole, representing about 0.5% of the population.[12]

2007

Cornell University, carrying out research into sexuality amongst a representative sample of more than 20 000 young Americans, published that 14.4% of young women self-identified as being sexual and either lesbian or bisexual, while 5.6% of young men self-identified as being sexual and either gay or bisexual.[26]

2008

Fried's 2008 analysis of General Social Survey data shows the percentage of United States males reporting homosexual activity for three time periods: 1988–92, 1993–98, and 2000–06. These results are broken out by political party self-identification, and indicate increasing percentages, particularly among Democrats (or, perhaps, reflecting a shift of political allegiance among gay Americans). (See graph, right.)[27]

2008

CNN exit polling showed self-identified gay, lesbian, and bisexual voters at 4% of the voting population in the United States presidential election, 2008.[28]

2010

The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior interviewed nearly 6,000 people nationwide between the ages of 14 and 94 found that 7 percent of women and 8 percent of men identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual.[29]

2012

A Gallup report published in October 2012 by the Williams Institute reported that 3.4% of US adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Minorities were more likely to identify as non-heterosexual; 4.6% of blacks, 4.0% of Hispanics and 3.2% of whites. Younger people, aged 18-29, were three times more likely to identify as LGBT than seniors over the age of 65, the numbers being 6.4% and 1.9%, respectively.[30][31]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Gates, Gary J. (April 2011). "How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?" (PDF). Williams Institute, University of California School of Law. {{cite web}}: Missing pipe in: |1= (help); Text "access-date={{subst:CURRENTDAY}} {{subst:CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{subst:CURRENTYEAR}}" ignored (help)
  2. ^ "LGBT Percentage Highest in D.C., Lowest in North Dakota". State of the States. Gallup Politics. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  3. ^ Numbers are from List of U.S. states and territories by population.
  4. ^ Calculated using state population estimates and LGBT percentage estimates.
  5. ^ "Decennial Census Data on Same Sex Couples". Same Sex Couples. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 June 2013..
  6. ^ Percentage out of all couple-held households in state.
  7. ^ "Decennial Census Data on Same Sex Couples". Same Sex Couples. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 June 2013..
  8. ^ Percentage out of all couple-held households in state.
  9. ^ "Decennial Census Data on Same Sex Couples". Same Sex Couples. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 June 2013..
  10. ^ Main article: Same-sex marriage law in the United States by state. Includes explanation of color coding.
  11. ^ Number based off national average percentage. The sum total of the above estimates equals 11,033,881. The difference is 46,890.
  12. ^ a b c Gary J. Gates Template:PDFlink. The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, UCLA School of Law October, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
  13. ^ Note: the study cited is unclear as to the exact metro NY area that is included; on table 5, page 8, "New York–Northern New Jersey–Long Island" is included, but in Appendix 2, page 15, Pennsylvania also seems to be included as it states "New York–Northern New Jersey–Long Island, New York–NJ–PA")
  14. ^ American Community Survey 2000
  15. ^ Gary J. Gates, PhD (October 2006). "Same-sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the American Community Survey" (PDF). The Williams Institute. The Williams Institute. Retrieved 30 June 2013. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 39 (help)
  16. ^ Gary J. Gates, PhD (October 2006). "Same-sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the American Community Survey" (PDF). The Williams Institute. The Williams Institute. Retrieved 30 June 2013. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 39 (help)
  17. ^ McWhirter, David P., Sanders, Stephanie A., & Reinisch, June Machover(Eds.). (1990). Homosexuality/Heterosexuality: Concepts of Sexual Orientation. The Kinsey Institute Series. New York: Oxford University Press.
  18. ^ Laumann, Edward O. (1994). The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States. University of Chicago Press. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-226-47020-7.
  19. ^ Dawson, D. & Hardy, A.M. (1990–1992). National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Advance Data, 204, 1990–1992.
  20. ^ Summary of The National Health and Social Life Survey ("The Sex Survey")
  21. ^ John O.G. Billy, Koray Tanfer, William R. Grady, and Daniel H. Klepinger, The Sexual Behavior of Men in the United States, Family Planning Perspectives, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, vol. 25, no. 2 (March/April 1993). Guttmacher Institute home page
  22. ^ Janus, Samuel S. & Janus, Cynthia L. (1993). The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
  23. ^ Laumann, Edward O., Gagnon, John H., Michael, Robert T., and Michaels, Stuart (1994). The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 297.
  24. ^ Turner CF, Ku L, Rogers SM, Lindberg LD, Pleck JH, Sonenstein FL (1998). "Adolescent sexual behavior, drug use, and violence: increased reporting with computer survey technology". Science. 280 (5365): 867–73. doi:10.1126/science.280.5365.867. PMID 9572724. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ American Sexual Behavior: Trends, Socio-Demographic Differences, and Risk Behavior
  26. ^ "Sax on Sex: The emerging science of sex differences". Psychology Today. 3 April 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  27. ^ Fried, Joseph, Democrats and Republicans – Rhetoric and Reality (New York: Algora Publishing, 2008), 10.
  28. ^ [1] CNN.com. Retrieved on 2011-02-10.
  29. ^ National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior. Nationalsexstudy.indiana.edu. Retrieved on 2010-10-26.
  30. ^ Gates, Gary J.; Newport, Frank (October 18, 2012). "Special Report: 3.4% of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBT". Gallup.
  31. ^ Gates, Gary J. (October 2012). "Gallup Special Report: The U.S. Adult LGBT Population". The Williams Institute. Retrieved 2012-10-29. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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