Who are LGBT Americans?

Just like other Americans, LGBT Americans have families, work hard to earn a living, pay taxes, and serve their communities and their country. Recent research by Gallup finds that 3.4% of the adult U.S. population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Applying these figures to the total number of adults in the U.S., this suggests that there are roughly 8.5 million LGBT adults nationwide. The LGBT community is diverse and lives throughout the United States; same-sex couples can be found in every state and in 93% of all U.S. counties. People of color are more likely than white people to identify as LGBT: 4.6% of black people, 4.0% of Latino, and 4.3% of Asian people identify as LGBT, compared to 3.2% of white people.

A survey of more than 6,400 transgender Americans found that 24% identified as people of color. Young people are more likely to identify as LGBT: 6.4% of 18-29 year-olds compared to 3.2% of 30-49 year-olds, 2.6% of 50-64 year olds, and 1.9% of people 65 and older. And women are more likely to identify as LGBT than men: 3.6% of women compared to 3.3% of men. LGBT people are neighbors, partners, parents, coworkers, and service members. Approximately 37% of LGBT people have had a child. There are 6 million Americans with an LGBT parent, and analysis of three different sources suggests that between 2.0 and 2.8 million American children are currently being raised by LGBT parents.

More than 1 million LGBT veterans served in the United States military, and an estimated 50,000 currently serve in active duty or in the National Guard and Reserves. Despite the fact that LGBT people have higher levels of education, research finds that LGBT Americans, particularly LGBT families with children and LGBT families of color, have higher rates of poverty. LGBT Americans report a lower overall sense of well-being than non-LGBT people, with LGBT Americans reporting an average wellbeing score of 58 compared to 62 for non-LGBT people. This index rates well-being along five axes: financial, physical, social, community, and purpose.

by Movement Advancement Project