118th Congrs has rerd number of lbian, gay, bisexual members | Pew Rearch Center

Contents:

• HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR?
• PEOPLE WHO ARE GAY, LBIAN OR BI HAVE MORE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE E PROBLEMS, SURVEY FDS
• 118TH CONGRS BREAKS RERD FOR LBIAN, GAY AND BISEXUAL REPRENTATN
• AMERINS STILL GREATLY OVERTIMATE U.S. GAY POPULATN
• IS A LBIAN, GAY OR BISEXUAL INTY MORE COMMON TODAY?

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR?

Increasg numbers of populatn-based surveys the Uned Stat and across the world clu qutns that allow for an timate of the size of the lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) populatn.

Unrstandg the size of the lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) populatn is a cril first step to rmg a host of public policy and rearch topics.

In measurg sexual orientatn, lbian, gay, and bisexual dividuals may be intified strictly based on their self-inty or may be possible to nsir same-sex sexual behavr or sexual attractn. Fdgs shown Figure 1 nsir timat of the percentage of adults who self-intify as lbian, gay, or bisexual across ne surveys nducted wh the past seven years. While the surveys show a fairly wi variatn the overall percentage of adults who intify as LGB, the proportn who intify as lbian/gay vers bisexual is somewhat more nsistent (see Figure 2).

PEOPLE WHO ARE GAY, LBIAN OR BI HAVE MORE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE E PROBLEMS, SURVEY FDS

The Natnal Survey of Fay Growth found rults that were sentially the oppose of the UK survey wh only 38% intifyg as lbian or gay pared to 62% intifyg as bisexual.

The Natnal Survey of Sexual Health and Behavr and the Atralian Longudal Study of Health and Relatnships both found a majory of rponnts (55% and 59%, rpectively) intifyg as surveys show even greater nsistency differenc between men and women associated wh lbian/gay vers bisexual inty. Wh the surveys, a larger actn of adults report same-sex attractns and behavrs than self-intify as lbian, gay, or bisexual (see Figure 4). In addn to beg able to intify whether they are lbian, gay, bisexual or straight, rponnts may also specifilly intify whether they are transgenr.

At a time when Amerins are creasgly supportive of equal rights for gay, lbian and transgenr people, a growg percentage of Amerins intify themselv as LGBT. The worldwi LGBTQ populatn by untry reports timate that approximately eight percent of the world intifi as homosexual, bisexual, or pansexual. It is timated that the younger generatns are more likely to be open about their sexualy, wh Generatn Z beg the most likely to be openly gay, bisexual, or asexual or pansexual.

118TH CONGRS BREAKS RERD FOR LBIAN, GAY AND BISEXUAL REPRENTATN

Millennials are the next most likely to be openly gay, and Baby Boomers are the least likely to report or intify as openly gay. In 2011, one report dited that approximately 96.5 percent of the populatn was heterosexual, while the remar of the populatn reported, intified as homosexual or asexual. More women than men reported as homosexual, while 19 percent of women reported as said they had at least one same-sex attractn their life.

By 2020, a separate study found that 7.1 percent of the populatn intified as gay, and the remar intified as heterosexual.

AMERINS STILL GREATLY OVERTIMATE U.S. GAY POPULATN

Of those that do intify as LGBTQ, over 50 percent of them are bisexual and 24 percent are gay, while 11 percent are lbian. Compared to many untri, cludg Canada, Israel has a higher than average gay populatn when parg LGBTQ populatn by untry.

Dpe creasg acceptance of the LGBTQ+ muny, at least some circl, adults who intify as gay, lbian or bisexual are more likely than those who intify as straight to have ser thoughts of suici and mental health ndns cludg major prsive episos, and they are more likely to mise substanc like alhol or dgs, acrdg to a new US ernment report. And about a third of all bisexual people and gay mal said they had a problem wh a substance e disorr the year before they filled out the survey, the report found. However, gay, bi and straight men seemed to have siar substance e patterns: There was no difference smokg between straight and gay mal, for example, and the rate of bge and heavy drkg the month before they took the survey was the same among gay, bi and straight men.

IS A LBIAN, GAY OR BISEXUAL INTY MORE COMMON TODAY?

Jeremy Kidd, a psychiatrist who has worked on studi to improve health out for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer populatns.

“LGBT dividuals experience addnal strs as a rult of discrimatn and stigma, stigma both at the societal level but also the way that livg a society that privileg heterosexualy that has homophobic laws and polici to sort of teach LGB people even to view themselv as ferr, ” Kidd said. Bisexuals may face more challeng bee they may be experiencg mory strs a way that is different om people who intify as gay or lbian, he said. “For stance, you n image beg environments that might be validatg of people who have gay and lbian inti but might eher not regnize bisexual inty – so they are sort of visible that space – or might be really validatg of dividuals wh bisexual inty, even while the environment is affirmg or at least a ltle more ntral to folks who are gay or lbian, ” Kidd said.

Thirteen votg members of the 118th Congrs intify as lbian, gay or bisexual – the hight number of openly LGB members history. Two senators and 11 members of the Hoe of Reprentativ intify as lbian, gay or bisexual, acrdg to a Pew Rearch Center analysis of lawmakers’ official bgraphi, mpaign webs and news reports. In the 112th Congrs of 2011-13, jt four members – all reprentativ – intified as gay or lbian (and none as bisexual), acrdg to data om the Victory Fund, a polil actn mtee that works to elect LGBTQ policians.