Quick Takes

Published: June 2011

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Population

Determining the size of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population in the U.S. is, at best, difficult, and at worst, impossible, due to the indirect nature of the data collection. For example, Census 2000 asked about same-sex co-habitation, which was then used to estimate the number of lesbian or gay couples. Those not cohabitating with their partners or single lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals were thus not counted, a significant omission since the Urban Institute estimates that only 1/4 of gay men and 2/5 of lesbians are part of a couple at any given time.¹

One 2011 study found approximately 3.5% of the U.S. population is lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and .3% is transgender.² Based on approximately 150 surveys, the founder of Witeck-Combs Communications estimates that 6.7% of Americans are LGBT.³

Benefits

• 57% of Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits.⁴
• At least 52 major employers reported to the HRC that they offer transgender inclusive health benefits. ⁵
• 35% of Fortune 500 companies have protection policies based on gender identity; 61% of the Fortune 100 have protection policies based on gender identity. ⁶
• 85% of Fortune 500 companies have non-discrimination policies based on sexual orientation; 97% of the Fortune 100 have non-discrimination sexual orientation policies. ⁷

Discrimination

• Almost two-fifths (39%) of lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals in America’s workplaces report facing some form of hostility or harassment on the job due to sexual orientation. 11% experience very frequent or frequent harassment or discrimination.⁸
• 19% LGBT employees reported barriers in promotion due to their sexual orientation/gender identity. ⁹
• Almost one in ten lesbian and gay adults state they were fired or dismissed unfairly from a previous job or pressured to quit a job because of their sexual orientation.¹⁰
• A small study of 155 transgender participants by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center found that nearly 1 in 2 transgender people have experienced employment discrimination.¹¹
• Another study found 90% of transgender individuals had experienced harassment or mistreatment on the job, or took steps to avoid it.¹²
• Forty-seven percent of individuals in the same study had either been fired, not hired, or denied a job promotion due to being transgender/gender non-conforming. ¹³
• In the United States, 21 states and the District of Columbia prohibit discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation. Of those states, 15 and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity/expression.¹⁴

Buying Power

• The total buying power of the LGBT community in the U.S. in 2010 is estimated to be $743 billion. ¹⁵
• 47% of lesbian and gay people say, despite potential higher costs or inconvenience, they would be more willing to support a brand that is supportive of LGBT issues.¹⁶

SOURCES

¹The Urban Institute, "How are gay men and lesbians counted in Census 2000?"

² Gary J. Gates, "How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?," The Williams Institute (April 2011).

³ Carl Bialik, "Sexual Stats in the Post-Kinsey Age," The Wall Street Journal (April 15, 2011).

⁴ Human Rights Campaign Foundation, The State of the Workplace for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans 2007-2008 (2009).

⁵ Human Rights Campaign Foundation, The State of the Workplace for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans 2007-2008 (2009).

⁶ Human Rights Campaign Foundation, The State of the Workplace for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans 2007-2008 (2009).

⁷ Human Rights Campaign Foundation, The State of the Workplace for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans 2007-2008 (2009).

⁸ Lambda Legal & Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, 2005 Workplace Fairness Survey (2006).

⁹ Lambda Legal & Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, 2005 Workplace Fairness Survey (2006).

¹⁰ Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, "Gays and Lesbians Face Persistent Workplace Discrimination and Hostility Despite Improved Policies and Attitudes in Corporate America" (September 12, 2002).

¹¹ Shannon Minter and Christopher Daley, "Trans Realities: A Legal Needs Assessment of San Francisco’s Transgender Communities," Transgender Law Center (2003).

¹² Jaime M. Grant, Lisa A. Mottet, Justin Tanis, Jack Harrison, Jody L. Herman, and Mara Keisling, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey(2011).

¹³ Jaime M. Grant, Lisa A. Mottet, Justin Tanis, Jack Harrison, Jody L. Herman, and Mara Keisling, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey(2011).

¹⁴ National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, "State Nondiscrimination Laws in the U.S." (June 14, 2011).

¹⁵ Human Rights Campaign, Buying for Equality 2011: A Guide to Companies, Products, and Services That Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Workplace Inclusion (2011).

¹⁶ Human Rights Campaign, Buying for Equality 2011: A Guide to Companies, Products, and Services That Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Workplace Inclusion (2011).

UPDATED June 27, 2011