United states gay

united states gay

LGBT Populations

This map shows the estimated raw number of LGBT people (ages 13+) living in each articulate. The data are based on a Williams Institute analysis of surveys conducted by Gallup Polling (2012-2017) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2015 and 2017 YRBS). For more knowledge, see the methodology in the Williams analysis. 

  • 500K - 1.4M+

  • 200K - 499K

  • 50K - 199K

  • 8K - 49K

Data are not currently available about LGBT people living in the U.S. territories.

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages show estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ grown-up population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.

This map shows the estimated percentage of each state's adult (ages 18+) population that identifies as lesbian, queer, bisexual, or genderqueer, based on a 2018 analysis of Gallup data by The Williams Institute.

  • 5.0% and greater

  • 4.0%-4.9%

  • 3.0%-3.9%

  • 1.5%-2.9%

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*Note: These p

LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Rises to 9.3%

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup’s latest update on LGBTQ+ identification finds 9.3% of U.S. adults identifying as lesbian, gay, pansexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual in 2024. This represents an multiply of more than a percentage signal versus the prior estimate, from 2023. Longer term, the figure has nearly doubled since 2020 and is up from 3.5% in 2012, when Gallup first measured it.

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LGBTQ+ identification is increasing as younger generations of Americans come in adulthood and are much more likely than older generations to say they are something other than heterosexual. More than one in five Gen Z adults -- those born between 1997 and 2006, who were between the ages of 18 and 27 in 2024 -- recognize as LGBTQ+. Each older generation of adults, from millennials to the Silent Generation, has successively lower rates of identification, down to 1.8% among the oldest Americans, those born before 1946.

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LGBTQ+ identification rates among young people own also increased, from an average 18.8% of Gen Z adults in 2020 through 2022 to an average of 22.7% over the past two years.

Gallup has

LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Now at 7.6%

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to expand, with 7.6% of U.S. adults now identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans person, queer or some other sexual orientation besides heterosexual. The current figure is up from 5.6% four years ago and 3.5% in 2012, Gallup’s first year of measuring sexual orientation and transgender identity.

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These results are based on aggregated data from 2023 Gallup telephone surveys, encompassing interviews with more than 12,000 Americans aged 18 and older. In each survey, Gallup asks respondents whether they identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, attracted to both genders, transgender or something else. Overall, 85.6% say they are straight or heterosexual, 7.6% identify with one or more LGBTQ+ groups, and 6.8% decline to respond.

Bisexual adults make up the largest proportion of the LGBTQ+ population -- 4.4% of U.S. adults and 57.3% of Queer adults say they are bisexual. Gay and womxn loving womxn are the next-most-common identities, each representing slightly over 1% of U.S. adults and roughly one in six LGBTQ+ adults. Slightly less than 1% of U.S. adults and about one in eight LGBT

Adult LGBT Population in the United States

This report provides estimates of the number and percent of the U.S. adult 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 statistics provides more stable estimates—particularly at the state level.

Combining 2020-2021 BRFSS data, we estimate that 5.5% of U.S. adults identify 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. live 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 exist in the Northeast (2.6 million).

The percent of adults who identify as LGBT

Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by State

The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) tracks over 50 different LGBTQ-related laws and policies.  This guide shows the overall policy tallies (as distinct from sexual orientation or gender identity tallies) for each state, the District of Columbia, and the five populated U.S. territories. A state’s policy tally scores the laws and policies within each state that shape LGBTQ people's lives, experiences, and equality. The major categories of laws covered by the policy tally include: Relationship & Parental Recognition, Nondiscrimination, Religious Exemptions, LGBTQ Youth, Health Care, Criminal Justice, and Identity Documents.  

Click on any state to view its detailed policy tally and state profile, or click "Choose an Issue" above to view maps on over 50 alternative LGBTQ-related laws and policies. 

  • High Overall Policy Tally (15 states + D.C.)

  • Medium Overall Policy Tally (5 states)

  • Fair Overall Policy Tally (3 states, 2 territories)

  • Low Overall Policy Tally (10 states, 3 territories)

  • Negative Overall Policy Tally (17 states)