A Survey of LGBT Americans Attitudes, Experiences and Values in Changing Times
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June 13, 2013 A Survey of LGBT Americans Attitudes, Experiences and Values in Changing Times FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT Pew Research Center 1615 L St., N.W., Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20036 Media Inquiries: 202.419.4372 www.pewresearch.org About the Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. This report is part of a series, LGBT in Changing Times, that explores attitudes about sexual orientation and identity. The series is based on several new Pew Research surveys – one of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults in the U.S.; another of the American public as a whole; and another of publics in 39 countries. It will also include a new analysis of media coverage and the social media conversation about the same-sex marriage issue. Find all of the reports and related content online at: http://pewresearch.org/lgbt. www.pewresearch.org Table of Contents PAGE Overview 1 Chapter 1: Demographic Portrait and Research Challenges 21 Chapter 2: Social Acceptance 30 Chapter 3: The Coming Out Experience 44 Chapter 4: Marriage and Parenting 64 Chapter 5: Identity and Community 75 Chapter 6: Religion 90 Chapter 7: Partisanship, Policy Views, Values 104 Appendix 1: Survey Methodology 113 Appendix 2: Topline Questionnaire 120 www.pewresearch.org 1 PEW RESEARCH CENTER A Survey of LGBT Americans Attitudes, Experiences and Values in Changing Times OVERVIEW The Arc of Social Acceptance % of all LGBT adults saying An overwhelming share of America’s lesbian, More accepting No different Less accepting gay, bisexual and transgender adults (92%) say Compared with 10 years ago, society is now ... of people who are LGBT society has become more accepting of them in the past decade and an equal number expect it 92 4 3 to grow even more accepting in the decade ahead. They attribute the changes to a variety 10 years from now, society will be ... of people who are LGBT of factors, from people knowing and interacting with someone who is LGBT, to 92 6 2 advocacy on their behalf by high-profile public Notes: Based on all LGBT (N=1,197). Those who didn’t figures, to LGBT adults raising families.1 answer are not shown. PEW RESEARCH CENTER LGBT/54,55 At the same time, however, a new nationally representative survey of 1,197 Perceptions of Discrimination LGBT adults offers testimony % saying this … because of their sexual orientation or gender identity to the many ways they feel Happened in Happened, not NET they have been stigmatized the past year in past year Ever Been subject to slurs or 16 43 58 by society. About four-in-ten jokes (39%) say that at some point Been rejected by a friend 6 33 39 in their lives they were or family member rejected by a family member Been threatened or 4 26 30 or close friend because of physically attacked their sexual orientation or Been made to feel gender identity; 30% say unwelcome at a place of 6 23 29 worship they have been physically Received poor service in attacked or threatened; 29% a restaurant, hotel, place 5 18 23 of business say they have been made to Been treated unfairly by 5 16 21 feel unwelcome in a place of an employer worship; and 21% say they Notes: Based on all LGBT (N=1,197). “Net” was computed prior to rounding. have been treated unfairly by PEW RESEARCH CENTER LGBT/82a-f an employer. About six-in- 1 Throughout this report “LGBT” is used to refer to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population. www.pewresearch.org 2 A Survey of LGBT Americans: Attitudes, Experiences and Values in Changing Times ten (58%) say they’ve been the target of slurs Have You Told Your Parents? or jokes. % saying they have/have not told their … about their sexual orientation or gender identity Also, just 56% say they have told their mother Not applicable about their sexual orientation or gender No Yes identity, and 39% have told their father. Most Mother 34 56 10 who did tell a parent say that it was difficult, Father 39 39 21 but relatively few say that it damaged their relationship. Notes: Based on all LGBT (N=1,197). “Not applicable” includes respondents who said their mother/father was not a part of their life, died before they could tell her/him or some other reason. Those who didn’t answer the questions are not The survey finds that 12 is the median age at shown. which lesbian, gay and bisexual adults first felt PEW RESEARCH CENTER LGBT/44,45 they might be something other than heterosexual or straight. For those who say they now know for sure that they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, that realization The Coming Out Experience: came at a median age of 17. When You Thought, Knew, Told Median age at which gay men/lesbians/bisexuals Among those who have shared this say they … they were or might be LGB information with a family member or close First thought Knew for sure Told someone friend, 20 is the median age at which they first 21 20 18 18 did so. 17 15 13 13 Gay men report having reached all of these 10 coming out milestones somewhat earlier than do lesbians and bisexuals. The survey was conducted April 11-29, 2013, and administered online, a survey mode that Gay men Lesbians Bisexuals research indicates tends to produce more Notes: Based on gay men (n=398), lesbians (n=277) and bisexuals (n=479). Median ages are computed based on honest answers on a range of sensitive topics those who answered each question. Those who are still not sure they are LGB, those who have not yet told someone than do other less anonymous modes of and those who did not answer the questions are removed from the analysis of the relevant questions. survey-taking. For more details, see Chapter 1 PEW RESEARCH CENTER LGBT/39,41,42 and Appendix 1. The survey finds that the LGBT population is distinctive in many ways beyond sexual orientation. Compared with the general public, Pew Research LGBT survey respondents are www.pewresearch.org 3 PEW RESEARCH CENTER more liberal, more About the Survey Democratic, less religious, less happy with their lives, This report is based primarily on a Pew Research Center survey of the LGBT population conducted April 11-29, 2013, among a nationally and more satisfied with the representative sample of 1,197 self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual general direction of the and transgender adults 18 years of age or older. The sample comprised 398 gay men, 277 lesbians, 479 bisexuals and 43 country. On average, they transgender adults. The survey questionnaire was written by the Pew Research Center and administered by the GfK Group using are younger than the general KnowledgePanel, its nationally representative online research panel. public. Their family incomes The online survey mode was chosen for this study, in part, because are lower, which may be considerable research on sensitive issues (such as drug use, sexual related to their relative behavior and even attendance at religious services) indicates that the online mode of survey administration is likely to elicit more honest youth and the smaller size of answers from respondents on a range of topics. their households. They are The margin of sampling error for the full LGBT sample is plus or minus also more likely to perceive 4.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For more details on the LGBT survey methodology, see Appendix 1. discrimination not just In most cases the comparisons made between LGBT adults and the against themselves but also general public are taken from other Pew Research Center surveys. against other groups with a legacy of discrimination. Same-Sex Marriage On the topic of same-sex marriage, not surprisingly, there is a large gap between the views of the general public and those of LGBT adults. Even though a record 51% of the public now favors allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally, up from 32% in 2003, that share is still far below the 93% of LGBT adults who favor same-sex marriage. Despite nearly universal support for same-sex marriage among LGBT adults, a significant minority of that population—39%—say that the issue has drawn too much attention away from other issues that are important to people who are LGBT. However, 58% say it should be the top priority even if it takes attention away from other issues. The survey finds that 16% of LGBT adults—mostly bisexuals with opposite-sex partners—are currently married, compared with about half the adults in the general public. Overall, a total of 60% of LGBT survey respondents are either married or say they would like to marry one day, compared with 76% of the general public. Large majorities of LGBT adults and the general public agree that love, companionship and making a lifelong commitment are very important reasons to marry. However LGBT survey respondents are twice as likely as those in the general public to say that obtaining legal rights www.pewresearch.org 4 A Survey of LGBT Americans: Attitudes, Experiences and Values in Changing Times and benefits is also a very important reason to marry (46% versus 23%). And the general public is more likely than LGBT respondents to say that having children is a very important reason to marry (49% versus 28%).