Poll Reveals That Americans Completely Overestimate Size of Homosexual Population

A new Gallup poll suggests most Americans vastly overestimate how large the gay community is in the United States.

According to the survey, released Thursday, a majority of people believe close to one in four (23.6 percent) people are gay or lesbian.

Americans have continuously overestimated the size of the gay population in recent years—estimating 24.6 percent in 2011 and 23.2 percent in 2015. Only about 4.5% of Americans self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to an earlier Gallup study. But in this most recent poll, conducted in May, just 9 percent of respondents estimated under 5 percent. (Another 11 percent guessed between 5 and 10 percent.)

“Exactly who makes up the LGBT community and how this group should be measured is a subject of some debate,” Gallup pointed out in 2012. “There are a number of ways to measure lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientation, and transgender status. Sexual orientation can be assessed by measuring identity as well as sexual behaviors and attractions.” . . .

And the growing number of young people identifying as LGBT can also color perception. A 2017 GLAAD study found that 20 percent of Millennials identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. That’s nearly three times higher than Baby Boomers (7 percent) and significantly more than Gen-Xers (12 percent.) (Read more from “Poll Reveals That Americans Completely Overestimate Size of Homosexual Population” HERE)

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