As of April 2024, 55 percent of the LGBT population lived in the 50 states and the District of Columbia where private health insurance service providers weren't allowed to deny coverage for transgender-related health care services, such as sex reassignment surgery. However, only 40 percent lived in states where health insurance protections included sexual orientation and gender identity.

LGBT Americans The share of Americans self-identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender has grown in recent years. This suggests that insurance protections which cover LGBT-related health care services will also continue to grow in importance. The prevalence of younger Americans self-identifying as LGBT when compared with older generations confirms this. Millennials and Gen Xers are much more likely to personally identify as LGBT than previous generations were. Growing acceptance and tolerance in wider society means that more people are willing to be open about their gender identity and sexual orientation. For instance, support for same-sex marriage in the U.S. underwent a huge shift over the past two decades with the majority of Americans being in favor of it since 2011.

In the United States, the share of Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or something other than heterosexual has more than doubled in the last 12 years, from 3.5 percent in 2012 to 7.6 percent in 2023.

In the United States, 51 percent of LGBTQ characters on cable networks in the 2023-24 season were white, while 30 percent of the characters were Black people. Moreover, the share of Latino characters was 7 percent.

According to a survey conducted in 2023, LGBTQ+ adults in the United States were most likely to identify as bisexual, at 57.3 percent. This was followed by 18.1 percent who identified as gay and 15.1 percent who identified as lesbian.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Non-Hispanic population of Gay by race. It includes the distribution of the Non-Hispanic population of Gay across various race categories as identified by the Census Bureau. The dataset can be utilized to understand the Non-Hispanic population distribution of Gay across relevant racial categories.

Key observations

Of the Non-Hispanic population in Gay, the largest racial group is White alone with a population of 84 (98.82% of the total Non-Hispanic population).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates.

Racial categories include:

• White
• Black or African American
• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Asian
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
• Some other race
• Two or more races (multiracial)

Variables / Data Columns

• Race: This column displays the racial categories (for Non-Hispanic) for the Gay
• Population: The population of the racial category (for Non-Hispanic) in the Gay is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each race as a proportion of Gay total Non-Hispanic population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Gay Population by Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of Fort Gay by gender, including both male and female populations. This dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Fort Gay across both sexes and to determine which sex constitutes the majority.

Key observations

There is a majority of female population, with 53.81% of total population being female. Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-Year Estimates.

Scope of gender :

Please note that American Community Survey asks a question about the respondents current sex, but not about gender, sexual orientation, or sex at birth. The question is intended to capture data for biological sex, not gender. Respondents are supposed to respond with the answer as either of Male or Female. Our research and this dataset mirrors the data reported as Male and Female for gender distribution analysis. No further analysis is done on the data reported from the Census Bureau.

Variables / Data Columns

• Gender: This column displays the Gender (Male / Female)
• Population: The population of the gender in the Fort Gay is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each gender as a proportion of Fort Gay total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Fort Gay Population by Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here

In 2023, 7.6 percent of adults surveyed in the United States stated they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). This is an increase from 2012, when 3.5 percent of surveyed adults identified as LGBT. These four categories are among the most common sexual orientations and gender identities outside cis-heterosexuals.

Differences across ages and genders 

Zooming in, it is possible to see how the share of people identifying as LGBT changed considerably according to different demographics. Only two percent of Baby Boomers, indeed, reported being part of the LGBT community. On the other hand, among Generation Z individuals, this share reached almost 16 percent. Moreover, surveys suggest that women were more likely to identify as LGBT than men.

An ever-understanding society 

The fact that an increasing amount of people feel free and safe to openly identify as LGBT might be a consequence of the improved acceptance of the different sexual orientations and genders by the American people at large. While in 2001 more than half of U.S. citizens considered homosexual relationships to be morally wrong, 20 years later this percentage dropped to 30 percent. Support for same-sex marriage has also been consistently increasing, even among traditionally conservative political groups. Despite this, it is important to remember that every year hundreds of people are still victims of hate crimes in the United States simply because of their gender or sexual orientation.

As of 2024, 25 percent of the LGBTQ population in the United States lived in states with laws explicitly requiring LGBTQ inclusion in state curricular standards. There were around 17 percent of the U.S. LGBTQ population residing in states which required the censorship of LGBTQ issues, also known as "Don't Say Gay or Trans" bans, in school.

In 2023, 9.8 percent of Millennials in the United States stated that they identify as LGBT, while in 2012, less than six percent of respondents from the same generation said the same. Members of Generation Z were the most likely to identify as LGBT, at over 20 percent.

In 2023, 8.5 percent of female respondents in the United States stated they identify as LGBT, while 4.7 percent of male respondents said the same. This is an increase from 2012, when 3.5 percent of female respondents and 3.4 percent of male respondents identified as LGBT.

This statistic shows Americans' views from 2001 to 2024 as to whether gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable or morally wrong. In 2001, 53 percent of respondents stated they believe gay or lesbian relations to be morally wrong. In 2024, 33 percent said the same.

A survey conducted in 2024 found that 50 percent of Americans believe that transgender people face a lot of discrimination in the United States. A further eight percent felt that trans people do not face any discrimination.

As of 2024, almost half of the LGBTQ youth population in the United States lived in states with laws explicitly banning the use of conversion therapy for minors. An additional 11 percent lived in states with partial conversion therapy bans in place.

In 2022, about 72 percent of male-male couples in the United States were White, compared to 6.4 percent of gay couples who were Black or African American.

Gay marriage in the United States

In the mid-1990s, a majority of the U.S. population believed that same-sex couples should not be recognized by law, although this figure has been on the decline since then. In 2011, more than 50 percent of Americans believed the opposite, saying that homosexual couples should be recognized by law. 2015 saw a spike in support, and on June 26 of that year, the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges.

Being LGBT in America

The share of Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) has been on the rise since 2012 and it is estimated that there are about one million same-sex couples in the U.S. Additionally, about half of surveyed people in 2019 believe that one is born gay or lesbian – a significant increase from 1977, when only 13 percent of respondents said the same.

In a global survey conducted in 2023, three percent of respondents declared to be homosexual, gay, or lesbian. In Brazil and the Netherlands, for instance, nine percent, instead, identified as bisexual, representing the largest group of bisexual respondents among the 30 surveyed countries. Moreover, two percent of the interviewees in Switzerland said to be pansexual or omnisexual. Pansexuality describes people who feel attracted to other people regardless of their biological sex, gender, or gender identity, whereas omnisexuality refers to people attracted to people of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

The support for same-sex marriage in the United States increased overall between 2016 and 2024. However, there was a decrease in support across both parties in 2024. According to a survey conducted across the years, this increase was particularly relevant among Republicans. This was consistently the party group least in favor of gay marriage, but in 2021, for the first time, a slight majority of Republicans showed support for it. In 2024, 83 percent of the Democrats' electorate thought that same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid.

A survey conducted at the end of 2022 found that 53 percent of LGBTQI+ adults were employed across all sectors, including self-employment. An additional 11 percent reported that they were retired.

According to a recent survey, in 2023, around 71 percent of the American population believed same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid. Interestingly enough, this figure changed considerably when taking into account the age group of the respondents. Young people between 18 and 34 years of age, in fact, were the group showing the highest support for same-sex marriage, with 89 percent. On the other hand, 60 percent of the respondents aged 65 years or more thought marriage between same-sex couples should be legally recognized as valid.

Since 1982, an astonishing 145 mass shootings have been carried out in the United States by male shooters. In contrast, only four mass shootings (defined by the source as a single attack in a public place in which four or more victims were killed) have been carried out by women. Gun ownership in the U.S. Possession of firearms in the United States is protected by the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution and has been a defining aspect of American civil liberties since the writing of the Bill of Rights. It is estimated that the United States has the highest rate of civilian-owned firearms in the world, and Americans continually poll against handgun restrictions. Mass shootings However, with high gun ownership comes high responsibility. The United States consistently faces numerous mass shootings each year, particularly in schools. The five deadliest mass shootings have all occurred since 2007, with the deadliest being the Las Vegas Strip massacre in 2017, which claimed the lives of 58 people and injured 546 more.

In 2022, around 80 percent of transgender people in the United States had considered suicide, while around 40 percent had attempted suicide. There has been an upward trend in both the considered and attempted suicide rate since 2000, when 61 percent of transgender people considered committing suicide and 28 percent had attempted it.