Resource Guides: LGBTQIA+ Communities and Allies: Statistics

Population Data

This page provides many information resources for finding out more information about LGBTQIA+ population statistics in the United States.

The LGBTQIA+ population in the south is growing. Here is a short video breaking down some of the demographics of the LGBTQIA+ population in the southern United States.

Here is an infographic showing recent US adult LGBTQIA+ population data.

Information from: Buchholz, K. (March 1, 2021). 5.6 Percent of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBT [Digital image]. Retrieved October 03, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/chart/18228/share-of-americans-identifying-as-lgbt/

According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, Georgia ranks 17th out of US States for percentage of LGBT population. 27% of that population have children.

Source: LGBT Demographic Data Interactive. (January 2019). Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

With the recognition of the growth in LGBTQIA+ populations in the USA must also come the acknowledgement that policies reflecting acceptance of those communities do not always keep up. Organizations like the Movement Advancement Project track how favorable government laws and policies are by state. Georgia currently has a lower ranking.

Movement Advancement Project. 2022. “State Equality Profile : Georgia.” https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality_maps/profile_state /GA. Accessed October 3, 2022.

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month
From the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Census Bureau’s first ever data on LGBTQ+ people indicates deep disparities
"The U.S. Census Bureau in July began asking Americans about their sexual orientation and gender identity — a watershed moment that marks the first time the federal government has tried to capture data on LGBTQ+ Americans in its large real-time national surveys."
PBS News Hour, Oct. 1, 2021.
2015 U.S. Transgender Survey
From the National Center for Transgender Equality. Center is launching a new survey in 2022.
New Household Pulse Survey Data Reveals Differences between LGBT and Non-LGBT Respondents During COVID-19 Pandemic
Summary info. from U.S. Census Bureau, Oct. 2021. Data table links under "more info."
more...less...
Census Bureau links to the data tables: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/household-pulse-survey/data.html
LGBTData.com
From Drexel Unviv., School of Public Health (and linked from CDC)
Characteristics of Same-Sex Couple Households: 2005 to Present
Tables for years 2005-2019; from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Same-Sex Couple Households: 2019
8 pages; summary info. - from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Library Resources

Here are some library resources for further reading about LGBTQIA+ statistics and population information.

LGBTQ Stats by Bennett Singer; David Deschamps
ISBN: 9781620972458
Publication Date: 2017-01-24
Twenty years ago it was impossible to imagine the president of the United States embracing same-sex marriage or Bruce Jenner transitioning to Caitlyn Jenner, an open transgender woman. LGBTQ Stats chronicles the ongoing LGBTQ revolution, providing the critical statistics, and draws upon and synthesizes newly collected data. Deschamps and Singer--whose previous books and films on LGBTQ topics have won numerous awards and found audiences around the globe--provide chapters on family and marriage, workplace discrimination, education, youth, criminal justice, and immigration, as well as evolving policies and laws affecting LGBTQ communities. A chapter on LGBTQ life around the globe contrasts the dramatic progress for LGBTQ people in the United States with violent backlash in countries such as Russia, Iran, and Nigeria, which have discriminatory laws that make same-sex activity punishable by prison or death. A lively, accessible, and eye-opening snapshot, LGBTQ Stats offers an invaluable resource for activists, journalists, lawmakers, and general readers who want the facts and figures on LGBTQ lives in the twenty-first century.
An Examination of Latinx LGBT Populations Across the United States by Antonio (Jay) Pastrana; Juan Battle; Angelique Harris
ISBN: 1137560746
Publication Date: 2015-11-30
This book utilizes personal narratives and survey data from over 1,100 respondents to explore the diversity of experiences across Latinx LGBT communities within the United States, including Puerto Rico. The authors document and celebrate many of the everyday strengths and strategies employed by this extraordinary population to navigate and negotiate their daily lives.
An Examination of Black LGBT Populations Across the United States by Juan Battle; Antonio (Jay) Pastrana; Angelique Harris
ISBN: 1137565225
Publication Date: 2015-11-30
This book utilizes personal narratives and survey data from over 2,100 respondents to explore the diversity of experiences across Black LGBT communities within the United States. The authors document and celebrate many of the everyday strengths and strategies employed by this extraordinary population to navigate and negotiate their daily lives.
An Examination of Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT Populations Across the United States by Juan Battle; Antonio (Jay) Pastrana; Angelique Harris
ISBN: 1137565195
Publication Date: 2015-11-30
This book utilizes personal narratives and survey data from over 500 respondents to explore the diversity of experiences across Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT communities within the United States. Additionally, the authors document and celebrate many of the everyday strengths and strategies employed by this extraordinary population to navigate and negotiate their daily lives.

Library

LGBTQIA+ Communities and Allies

Need help?

Population Data

Library Resources

Georgia Tech Library