August 22, 2015.
Yesterday, I received an email from “Marge” that asks, “What percentage of the U.S. population classify themselves as LGBT?”
Until recent decades, most LGBT people were not “out” so did not identify as LGBT, etc.
For various reasons, some bigoted, many people have challenged Dr. Kinsey’s figure of 10%. It is not a stable figure/statistic anyway since his research showed that some, men especially, were homosexual for a period and then heterosexual for a period. (Some of his statistics I think came from prisoners.) The percent that is trans is much smaller, but is confused if you consider cross dressers, etc, who are primarily heterosexual. If in theory the percent of lesbians is smaller than homosexual men, that is not yet studied accurately.
Most combine all these to still say that at any one time about 10% of the population — all populations (in any political, religious, geographical area in any time period) — is LGBT.
What is the criteria to define someone as homosexual, etc.? Does one (voluntary) act make someone homosexual? Can someone be “gay” and never have a homosexual act? Do we accept how the individual identifies him or herself? What about people who are asexual?
But there has never been valid research on the number of people who are continuously homosexual — and even harder to say about B and T- although lesbians seem to be more stable-or is that “sexist?”
I think there are now some statistics on the Census reports. The figures vary from 2 to 5%. If I understand them, many reported being in same sex relationships — even before the recent Supreme Court decision on marriage equality. Many couples live in rural areas, which is no easy to understand.
If we think of “facts” as we want them, sort of like the Stephen Colbert version of truth, “Truthiness,” then it seems the whole world is gay. Or now trans. The “media” has covered Jenner and trans issues, marriage, etc., almost to exhaustion. Not only is there a new celebrity coming out most months, but we have those who were in the closet most of their lives — Tab Hunter, etc. —coming out.
If we are to believe the media, many young boys and girls are now identifying themselves sexually. LGBT teenagers are insisting on taking a date to their prom. So many people think that we will be as swamped by LGBT people as by illegal immigrants.
If you have seen reports, I think from England, on the Gay Star News web site, it seems about half of young people say they are not 100% heterosexual. But definitions may vary and I have no knowledge of the way they got the statistics.
There, to me, are three side issues that are important. First, Kinsey’s research, and there still is none to actually disprove it, implies that both men and women may not be completely homosexual or heterosexual (on a scale of 1 to 6) — and that bring up the old issue of what causes someone to be either, or bi, etc.
Another issue that is generic is does the media, films, books, celebrity coverage, etc., affect people’s sexuality. Did Ellen’s “coming out” lead some women to also start identifying as lesbian?
But the most important fact is that in this nation, under our Constitution, we are citizens as individuals, and our civil liberties do not depend on how others view us, as individuals or part of a minority, and our rights are not subject to a vote, especially one that says if we can “change,” then we must to get our rights.
(I am sending your inquiry on in case others working in this field have more information. For instance, I think The Williams Institute work at the UCLA law school may have info on this. )
