Gay persons
Adult LGBT Population in the United States
This report provides estimates of the number and percent of the U.S. grown-up population that identifies as LGBT, overall, as well as by age. Estimates of LGBT adults at the national, state, and regional levels are included. We rely on BRFSS 2020-2021 information for these estimates. Pooling multiple years of data provides more stable estimates—particularly at the express level.
Combining 2020-2021 BRFSS data, we estimate that 5.5% of U.S. adults name as LGBT. Further, we estimate that there are almost 13.9 million (13,942,200) LGBT adults in the U.S.
Regions and States
LGBT people reside in all regions of the U.S. (Table 2 and Figure 2). Consistent with the overall population in the United States,more LGBT adults live in the South than in any other region. More than half (57.0%) of LGBT people in the U.S. reside in the Midwest (21.1%) and South (35.9%), including 2.9 million in the Midwest and 5.0 million in the South. About one-quarter (24.5%) of LGBT adults reside in the West, approximately 3.4 million people. Less than one in five (18.5%) LGBT adults stay in the Northeast (2.6 million).
The percent of adults who identify as LGBT
Gay people
Lesbian, gay and trans life in Germany began to thrive at the beginning of the 20th century. Berlin in particular was one of the most liberal cities in Europe with a number of lesbian, gay and trans organisations, cafés, bars, publications and cultural events taking place.
Albrecht Becker – imprisoned by the Nazis for organism gay
By the 1920s, Paragraph 175 of the German Penal Code, which criminalised homosexual acts, was being applied less frequently. Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science led the world in its scientific approach to sexual diversity and acted as an important public centre for Berlin sapphic, gay, bisexual and transgender life. In 1929 the process towards complete decriminalisation had been initiated within the German legislature.
Nazi conceptions of race, gender and eugenics dictated the Nazi regime’s aggressive policy on homosexuality. Repression against homosexual men, lesbians and trans people commenced within days of Hitler becoming Chancellor. On 6 May 1933, the Nazis violently looted and closed The Institute for Sexual Science, burning its extensive collection on the streets. Unknown numbers of German lgbtq+ men, lesbians and trans p
- Myth 1: Homosexuality is a choice.
Reality: Sexual orientation is caused by factors such as genetics and the biology of brain progress.
Parenting, peer pressure, and religious struggles are not causes of homosexuality or heterosexuality.
Homosexuality is no more a choice or judgment than being straight. Asking a gay person, “When did you decide to be gay?” is similar to asking a heterosexual person, “When did you decide to be attracted to people of the opposite sex?”
Scientific data demonstrate that sexual orientation (homosexuality or heterosexuality, i.e. male lover or straight) is biologically based.1 While there is more to learn, studies advise that what leads to a person being lgbtq+ or straight lies within our genetics (i.e. DNA), epigenetics (i.e. how factors affect our genes), and what occurs in the developing brain before birth.2
- Myth 2: Homosexuality can be “cured.”
Reality: Therapy cannot modify sexual orientation, and “reparative” therapy can be harmful.
Therapies that claim to transform lesbian, gay, and bisexual person persons into heterosexuals (e.g. “conversion” and “reparative” therapy) have been discredited. A task force within the American Psychological Associat
The human rights of queer woman , gay, bisexual, transgender, gay, 2-spirit and intersex persons
Canada stands up for the protection and promotion of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, 2-spirit and intersex (LGBTQ2I) people globally.
The human rights of all persons are universal and indivisible. Everyone should enjoy the same fundamental human rights, regardless of their sexual orientation and their gender identity and expression.
Article 1 of the Universal Statement of Human Rights declares that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Article 2 declares, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration.” All people, including LGBTQ2I individuals, are entitled to enjoy the protection provided by international human rights law, which is based on equality and non-discrimination.
Nearly 30 countries, including Canada, recognize lgbtq+ marriage. By contrast, more than 70 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex manner. This includes 6 countries that effectively impose the death penalty on consensual same-sex sexual acts. In 6 other countries, the death penalt
LGBTQ2+ communities in Canada: A demographic snapshot
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