Lbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr Agg

Contents:

• LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENR AGG

LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENR AGG

For lbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgenr people, realizg their sexual orientatn or genr inty and sharg that rmatn wh fay and iends is often a gradual procs that n unfold over a seri of years. Lbians and gay men are more likely than bisexuals to have told at least one close iend about their sexual orientatn (96% of gay men and 94% of lbians, pared wh 79% of bisexuals). And they are much more likely to say that most of the people who are important to them know about this aspect of their life: 77% of gay men and 71% of lbians say all or most people know, pared wh 28% of bisexuals.

Among all LGBT adults, those wh a llege gree are more likely than those who have not graduated om llege to say all or most of the important people their life know they are lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr (64% vs. Lbian, gay and bisexual survey rponnts were asked how old they were when they first felt they might be somethg other than straight or heterosexual.

The vast majory of lbians, gay men and bisexuals say they were their teens or younger when they first started to feel they might not be straight. Gay men are the least likely to report first havg the feelgs their twenti or beyond: 3% say they were 20 or olr, pared wh 14% of lbians and 15% of bisexuals. 15 Among LGBT adults who say they know for sure that they are lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr (92%), 17 is the median age at which they say they knew.

One--five say they knew for sure they were lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr when they were their twenti, and 8% say wasn’t until they were 30 or olr. The next step the procs for many people is tellg a close iend or fay member that you are or might be lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr. Among gay men and lbians unr age 30, 24% say they first told a iend or fay member that they were gay or lbian before the age of 15.

Fully two-thirds of gay men and lbians unr age 30 say they shared their sexual orientatn wh a iend or fay member before they were 20 years old. The age gaps may be related to the fact that younger adults who may not yet intify themselv as lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr (but may the future) would not qualify to be clud the survey.

As the public has bee more acceptg of the LGBT populatn, may be that gay men and lbians feel more fortable sharg their sexual orientatn at an earlier age. An important tone for many lbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgenr people is tellg their parents about their sexual orientatn or genr inty. Overall, LGBT adults are much more likely to have told a close iend that they are lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr than they are to have told one of their parents.

Bisexuals are much more likely than gay men and lbians to say their sexual orientatn never me up wh their parents or that raisg the subject was not important to them.

Among those who have not told their mothers, 34% of bisexuals and 16% of gay men and lbians gave this type of explanatn when asked why they hadn’t told her. One--five gay men and lbians who have not told their mother about their sexual orientatn say they never told her bee she already knew or someone else told her. Among LGB adults who have not told their father about their sexual orientatn, 13% of gay men say this is bee he already knew, as well as 17% of lbians and 5% of bisexuals.

For LGBT adults who have not told their father that they are lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr, about one--ten (12%) say they didn’t tell him bee they do not have a close relatnship wh him. Gay men and lbians are more likely than bisexuals to say tellg their mother about their sexual orientatn was a difficult thg (64% of gay men and 65% of lbians say was difficult, vs. Lbians are twice as likely as gay men to say tellg their mother about their sexual orientatn hurt their relatnship (23% of lbians say the relatnship grew weaker, pared wh 12% of gay men).

Gay men and lbians are more likely than bisexuals who have told their father about their sexual orientatn to say this ma their relatnship stronger. Among lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr adults who have a siblg, roughly six--ten say they have told their siblgs about their sexual orientatn or genr inty. Among gay men and lbians who have at least one sister, large majori say they have told a sister about their sexual orientatn (75% of gay men and 80% of lbians).

Siarly, roughly three-quarters of gay men (74%) and lbians (76%) wh at least one brother say they have told a brother about their sexual orientatn, pared wh 42% of bisexuals. Most LGBT adults (70%) say there is at least some social acceptance of the lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr populatn the cy or town where they live.

Gay men and lbians are more likely than bisexuals to say there is a lot of social acceptance of the LGBT populatn their cy or town. At the same time, Midwterners are more likely than those livg any other regn to say there is some acceptance their muny of LGBT dividuals (52% of gay men and lbians livg the Midwt say this, pared wh 35% or ls of those livg the Northeast, South or Wt). Gay men and lbians livg the South are much more likely than those livg the Wt or Midwt to say there is only a ltle or no acceptance of the LGBT populatn where they live (36% the South vs.

Gay men and lbians wh a llege gree and those wh annual of $75, 000 or higher are among the most likely to say there is a lot of acceptance of the LGBT populatn the cy or town where they live.