On June 13, the Pew Research Center—a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts polling, research and media content analysis on popular issues—released its report "A Survey of LGBT Americans: Attitudes, Experiences, and Values in Changing Times."
The report combines surveys of LGBT Americans, the general public and 39 other countries. Ninety-two percent of the LGBT Americans surveyed said society has become more accepting of them in the past decade and 92 percent predicted that it would become more accepting in the next decade. However, only 19 percent said there is a lot of acceptance for LGBT individuals.
In addition, 66 percent of LGBT individuals said they have experienced some kind of discrimination based on their sexual orientation. Thirty-nine percent were rejected by family or close friends; 59 percent were targets of a joke; 23 percent said they were poorly treated by a place of business; 30 percent were attacked or threatened; 29 percent were made to feel unwelcome in a place of worship; and 21 percent were treated unfairly by an employer.
While 51 percent of the general public said they favor same-sex marriage—an increase from 32 percent a decade ago—only 21 percent said they were in favor of same-sex couples having children. But despite discrimination, 34 percent of LGBT individuals said their sexual orientation is a positive part of their identity. Only 7 percent said it is a negative part of their identity.
Attitudes toward LGBT individuals seem to depend largely on group or subculture. For example, 25 percent of LGBT individuals said there is a lot of acceptance for lesbians and 33 percent said the same for bisexual women. However, that figure drops to 15 percent for gay men, 8 percent for bisexual men and 3 percent for transgender individuals.
Respondents also weighed in regarding politics. Fifty-seven percent of LGBT individuals viewed the Democratic Party as LGBT-friendly, but only 4 percent said the same of the Republican Party.
Participants also responded about areas ranging from entertainment to religion. Seventy percent said the entertainment industry is LGBT-friendly, compared to 27 percent for the news media, 8 percent for the military and 4 percent for the professional sports leagues. In addition, 33 percent of religious LGBT individuals, and 66 percent of religious LGBT individuals who frequently attend a religious institution, said their sexual orientation is in conflict with their religious beliefs.
Geographic location also seems to make a difference, as 51 percent of LGBT individuals out West said there is acceptance of LGBT individuals, but only 35 percent of those in the Northeast, 29 percent of those in the South and 29 percent of those in the Midwest said the same.
LGBT individuals may not feel as open in an online forum. Only 16 percent said they discuss LGBT issues online. Of those who are online, 69 percent of gay men, 62 percent of lesbians and 40 percent of bisexuals said they are out on a social-networking site.
LGBT individuals differ on their opinions of how to change the social landscape. Forty-nine percent said the way to acceptance is to blend into the mainstream and another 49 percent said it is important to maintain a distinct culture, while 56 percent were in favor of LGBT neighborhoods and bars while 41 percent believed they would become less important over time.
However, there is more agreement on other ways to improve attitudes. Seventy percent of LGBT individuals said knowing someone who is LGBT helps a lot toward increased acceptance, while 49 percent said the same of LGBT characters on TV and 57 percent said the same of seeing LGBT families around town.
The Pew Research Center did not return phone calls seeking comments. The full report can be accessed at www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2013/06/SDT_LGBT-Americans_06-2013.pdf .
