New data estimates that the largest number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender U.S. adults reside in the South, corroborating recent findings.
Researchers estimate that over 5% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, consistent with previous data. The report from the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles reveals higher LGBTQ+ identification among young people aged 18-24.
Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the report reveals that in 2020 and 2021, there were nearly 14 million LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. Some states exhibited noticeably higher percentages of gay and queer residents than others.
Earlier this year, a poll from Gallup found a slightly higher percentage of U.S. adults are LGBTQ+. Overall, multiple polls show that the adult LGBTQ population has been steadily increasing for years.
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“Look at the numbers, more people are coming out younger, and people are coming out in places where LGBTQ folks have been less out and visible,” Cathy Renna, a spokesperson for the National LGBTQ Task Force, told USA TODAY.
The report breaks down the data by state, revealing that Washington, D.C., Oregon, and Delaware top the list for the greatest percentage of gay and queer residents.
The census, the nation’s most well-known population survey, does not gather data on Americans’ sexuality or gender identity. In 2021, other smaller surveys from the bureau began asking those questions of respondents for the first time.
Researchers at the Williams Institute, a leading national LGBTQ+ population data research group, estimate more than 13.9 million LGBTQ+ adults live in the U.S. This represents 5.5% of the population.
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Every year, Gallup also releases results of a poll estimating how many Americans are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
Gallup’s last report, which polled a nationally representative group of 10,000 respondents, found 7.2% identified as LGBTQ+. The number was highest among adult Gen Zers, or people born between 1997 and 2012, according to Pew Research Center.
The new data reveals that nearly 36% of the nation’s adult LGBTQ+ population resides in the South, totaling over 5 million people. This marks an increase from the 2014 data by the Williams Institute, which reported 35% of the nation’s LGBTQ+ population living in the South.
Researchers defined the South as states spanning from Texas and Oklahoma to Florida and north through Delaware. Kentucky, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., are included in the grouping.
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In recent years, Southern Republican-led states have enacted more laws restricting transgender health care, access to school sports, and instruction on LGBTQ+ history than any other part of the country.
For that reason, the South is at the forefront of the national fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality, Renna said. “Despite the backlash and despite challenges we’re facing, we’re resilient, and we’re not going anywhere,” Renna said.
Researchers found that 5.7% of Louisiana’s adult population is LGBTQ+, ranking slightly higher than states like New York, California, and Illinois.
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