Gallup survey claims 3.4 percent in U.S. are LGBT

(L-R) Same-sex couple Tyler Savage and Larry Farris kiss outside a Chick-fil-A restaurant on August 3, 2012, in Dallas, Texas. / Getty Images

NEW YORK A new Gallup survey, touted as the largest of its kind, estimates that 3.4 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

The findings, released Thursday, were based on interviews with more than 121,000 people. Gallup said it is the largest study ever aimed at calculating the nation's LGBT population.

The report's lead author, demographer Gary Gates of the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute, said he hoped the findings would help puncture some stereotypes about gays and lesbians while illustrating the diversity of their community.

"Contemporary media often think of LGBT people as disproportionately white, male, urban and pretty wealthy," he said. "But this data reveal that relative to the general population, the LGBT population has a larger proportion of nonwhite people and clearly is not overly wealthy."

According to the survey, which was conducted between June and September, 4.6 percent of African-Americans identify as LGBT, 4 percent of Hispanics, 4.3 percent of Asians and 3.2 percent of whites. Overall, a third of those identifying as LGBT are nonwhite, the report said.

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There was a slight gender difference — 3.6 percent of women identified as LGBT, compared to 3.3 percent of men. And younger adults, aged 18 to 29, were more likely than their elders to identify as LGBT.

One striking difference: among 18-to-29-year-olds, 8.3 percent of women identify as LGBT, compared with 4.6 percent of men the same age.

In contrast to some previous, smaller studies, the Gallup survey found that identification as LGBT is highest among Americans with the lowest levels of education. Among those with a high school education or less, 3.5 percent identify as LGBT, compared with 2.8 percent of those with a college degree and 3.2 percent of those with postgraduate education.

A similar pattern was found regarding income groups. More than 5 percent of those with annual incomes of less than $24,000 identify as LGBT, compared to 2.8 percent of those making more than $60,000 a year.

Among those who report income, about 16 percent of LGBT individuals have incomes above $90,000 per year, compared with 21 percent of the overall adult population, the Gallup survey found. It said 35 percent of those who identify as LGBT report incomes of less than $24,000 a year, compared to 24 percent for the population in general.

Regarding family status, 20 percent of LGBT individuals said they are married and an additional 18 percent are living with a partner; they weren't asked about the gender of those spouses and partners. Among non-LGBT Americans, 54 percent are married and 4 percent are living with a partner, the report said.

The survey found that 32 percent of both LGBT and non-LGBT women have children under 18 in their home. By contrast, 16 percent of LGBT men had children in their home, compared to 31 percent of non-LGBT men.

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Gates said he was struck by the geographical spread of the LGBT population — pegged at 3.7 percent in the East, 3.6 percent in the West, 3.4 percent in the Midwest and 3.2 percent in the South.

The results were based on responses to the question, "Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?" included in 121,290 Gallup interviews conducted between June 1 and Sept. 30.

The overall 3.4 percent figure is similar to a 3.8 percent estimate made previously by Gates after averaging a group of smaller U.S. surveys conducted from 2004 to 2008.

The survey noted that its findings did not account for LGBT people who, for whatever reason, did not want to acknowledge their sexual orientation in the interviews.

[HJeffSmith]

I would have liked for the study to have included whether or not the respondants grew up in intact traditional families. With the finding that the LGBT are more likely black than white and more likely poor than rich, I suspect that LGBT grew up in homes that had no father present. Wouldn't this point be significant to any serious research into this topic or are they afraid that the data would point to homosexuality being learned rather than genetic? Also I find it interesting that this study is being ignored. For instance the "Gay Voices" section of the "Huffington Poat" has not mentioned a study that included 121,000 people being questioned. My guess is that they want to claim that a much larger percentage of the population is gay. Personally, I find it hard to believe that it is as high as 3.4%

[Think3Times]

I'm sorry, but this is a stupid article spreading unimportant information!

I DON'T CARE what percentage of the population is Gay. I care more about the percentage of the population that assumes that their religion means only they are "morally" correct, and the rest of you must CONFORM to their beliefs!

OMG 3.4% of our population are humans! Everyone Panic!

[HJeffSmith]

You said, "I care about the percentager of the population that assumes that their religion means only they are morally correct". Ummm - isn't that the point of religion - to tell us how we are to live, especially morally? I mean otherwise what is the point of choosing a religion? If you believe, you believe it all otherwise what's the pont? I realize that our society is very much into moral relativism and if it feels good, do it, but there is right and wrong and if you truly subscribe to a religion you believe it all. Although it is easier to follow the latest fad.

[wizcat123]

Homosexuality has been around since the beginning for thousands of years. It is wrong for anyone to be discriminated against or abused for being a homosexual, but it is also wrong for 2% or even 4% of the population to force the rest of the people to accept their homosexuality. This is what is happening today, I have personally intervened to protect a homosexual from being abused by other men because he is a homosexual, and I will do it all over again if I have to. But why should I be forced to accept homosexuality as a normal way of living when I totally disagree with it and I believe marriage is always between a man and a woman, after all two homosexuals cannot have children. I don't want my children and grandchildren to be homosexuals and I will do everything in my power to do so.

[carolinasistah]

They have a lot more political and social power than blacks ever had during the civil rights movement! Where are the dogs, water hoses, billy clubs, and beat-downs?

[ForMidnight]

Once again Gallup got it wrong. The best surveys over the years all show that the LGBT population of the U.S. is more lke 1.5%. Looks like someone purposely doubled the numbers.

[RHReese]

You know that homosexual life style is a choice. To procreate the male was to mate with as many females as he could and not be monogamous. As humans advanced the male choose a mate for life and choose to be monogamous even though it was innate for him to mate with more than one female. So they say that homosexuals are born that way, but yet it is still a choice to live that life style. They choose to be homosexuals.

[ttipbc]

No one can take you seriously if you don't even know proper English. But since you're an expert on primitive man, you should be able to recognize yourself as a Neanderthal.

[jimhass]

A lot depends on the setting of this survey. If you were gay, would you answer a survey openly and honestly?

[RetiredArmy_Nurse]

Hmm, 3.4% does not sound right. Last studies I checked put overall per cent of gays at near 8% of the population. Of course, Gallup could be a bit skewed due to nature of the sample. I noted a previous post stating "all this fuss over 3% of the population." Well, it would not matter if it were only 0.3%, pursuit of equality is the goal. Their lifestyle is none of anyone's business, anymore than mine is. We are all citizens and should enjoy equal rights without prejudice.

[formerlyluvnut]

It's a sick sick world and country.

[scottpatrick1234]

Similar percentage for other psychological disorders.

[justin-thyme]

Being gay was officially removed from the APA list of psychological disorders decades ago. Where have you been? Study after study from objective, reputable researchers have shown that homosexuality is not a disorder -- but that discrimination against gays frequently results in anxiety and depression.

[daffy64]

Yeah. Like "blackness".