News: More Americans Identified as LGBTQ in 2016
In what can be seen as a sign of further progress for the LGBTQ community in the United States, an estimated 10 million Americans identified as LGBTQ in 2016, a 1.75 million rise since 2012.
The results are from a recent Gallup poll with a sample size of 1.6 million Americans. The poll asked respondents whether they identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and more than 49,000 people responded in the affirmative.
Millennials led this increase of identifying as LGBTQ, with 7.3 percent identifying themselves as such. It’s a 2.5 percent increase from the 2012 statistic, which pegged the number of LGBTQ-identifying millennials at 5.8 percent. There was also a 0.9 percent increase in women identifying as LGBT, from 2012’s 3.5 percent to 2016’s 4.4 percent.
In terms of race, more Asians and Hispanics identified as LGBTQ in 2016, at 4.9 and 5.4 percent respectively. That’s a 1.4 percent increase for Asian minorities, and a 1.1 increase for Hispanic minorities. Those who identify as LGBTQ also tend to be non-religious, with 7 percent of those who identified as LGBTQ also identifying themselves as non-religious.
The Gallup poll goes on to explain that the higher number of millennials identifying as LGBTQ could stem from the fact that acceptance of same-sex relationships have changed over the years. Less than half of the population supported same-sex marriage in 1986, a stark contrast to the 68 percent in 2016 that approved of its legalization.
To quote the poll: “It’s likely that millennials are the first generation in the U.S. to grow up in an environment where social acceptance of the LGBT community markedly increased. This may be an important factor in explaining their greater willingness to identify as LGBT. They may not have experienced the levels of discrimination and stigma experienced by their older counterparts. The perceived risks associated with publicly identifying as LGBT might also be lower in millennials than among other generations.”
What do you think of these survey results? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
So you’re recruiting!!! LOL
I think a lot of it might have to do with the various new gender identities (the Trans* community) there are now more than anything else. I am talking more about things like nonbinary, demi boys, agendered things like that. Not saying an opinion on it. I’m just saying I think that’s what it is.
I doubt there are more LGBT people now than there ever have been. The increase in self-reporting IMHO stems from two things:
1) 75 years of slow, steady civil rights work which has gradually reduced the level of hatred and discrimination against us. Today more LGBT people are comfortable acknowledging and then saying out loud that they are LGBT.
2) a generation or more of expanding media coverage where young people (and maybe a few older ones) come to realize “Hey, that’s someone like me up on the screen. I can be that!”
I believe these two reasons are why our haters’ first goal is to reduce our visibility.
Why not be even more inclusive…
Add another letter – S. S for “straight” LBGTQS. That way you can report even greater numbers. The alphabet people would then be the most inclusive group in America. We’d all just be Americans then–Oh but you wouldn’t be able to play the victim card then…Damn!!
victim?
We’re still only about 2% of the population. At best.
Looks like more Fake News lol… I never tell any pollster the truth when I get asked to participate in a poll.
France is now limiting the number of polls allowed to be published because they found most people do not tell the truth when being polled so I agree with Jake here
I don’t think these trends are anything to be happy about. Let’s not forget that without traditional marriage and children most of us wouldn’t be here. Kind of a catch 22…more lgbtqetc will quickly result in fewer lgbtqetc people!
What a qualified nonsense. Physical and emotional attraction to the opposite sex is by no means a prerequisite for procreation. Come on, get real.
There’s indeed a fair chance that a considerable percentage of our parents’ generation in “traditional marriage” where homosexuals.
Btw, there’s a brand new sitcom on TV, for only 7 years now, that may help you. It’s called Modern Family.
What an idiot. Too bad YOUR parents didn’t have YOU!
that’s a very small sample, less than one third of one percent of the total population. the results would be speculative at best.
how does the sample break down by age, geography, education, socioeconomic status, etc. what percentage of the sample has been polled on the subject before, and how did their answers track when the choices changed from binary gender and trinary sexuality to alphabet soup?
I’m a bit of a poll geek, and I’m always skeptical.
also, if you want proof of the rise in acceptance among the young, just look at the tv shows marketed at them.
“In what can be seen as a sign of further progress …”
SURPRISE!!!