short reads | Jun 18, 2013

LGBT voices that shaped our study

Before we launched our first major effort to capture the views and opinions of LGBT adults for our series ‘LGBT in Changing Times,’ we convened a focus group to help inform our approach. In March 2013, we assembled 12 LGBT adults from the Washington, D.C. area: five gay men, three transgender adults, two bisexual men […]

report | Jun 17, 2013

News Coverage Conveys Strong Momentum for Same-Sex Marriage

News stories focused on support for same-sex marriage outnumbered those opposing it by roughly 5-to-1 in the two months marked by Supreme Court deliberations on the issue, according to the latest study in Pew Research's LGBT in Changing Times series. Did statements of support vary by media sector? Did reactions on Twitter differ from the news media? How was the topic covered in LGBT outlets? The new study offers answers.

short reads | Jun 14, 2013

Ellen DeGeneres is the most visible gay or lesbian public figure in America

More than anyone else, Ellen DeGeneres is the face of LGBT America. Still. That’s the verdict of two new Pew Research Center surveys, one of the general U.S. population and the other of LGBT Americans specifically. Not only was the comedian and television host by far the most frequently cited example of a gay or […]

feature | Jun 13, 2013

LGBT Voices: The Coming Out Experience

In the Pew Research Center’s survey of LGBT adults, we asked respondents to share three key points in their personal coming out journeys: When they first thought they might be something other than straight or heterosexual; When they knew for sure that they were lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender; and When they first told a close friend or family member about their sexual orientation or gender identity.

short reads | Jun 13, 2013

LGBT Americans in changing times: Tell us your story

Our first survey of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community examines their attitudes, experiences and values in today’s changing times. The survey found 92% of LGBT adults saw a society that had become more accepting of them in the last decade. But about half said they still experienced discrimination. These are some of the […]

short reads | Jun 13, 2013

How Pew Research conducted its national LGBT community survey

Why did Pew Research decide to conduct an LGBT-specific survey? We know from our surveys of the general public that there’s been a sharp increase in support for same-sex marriage and in societal acceptance of homosexuality over the past decade. Of course, we’re on the cusp of an important historical and cultural moment with the […]

report | Jun 13, 2013

A Survey of LGBT Americans

An overwhelming share of America’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults (92%) say society has become more accepting of them in the past decade and an equal number expect it to grow even more accepting in the decade ahead. They attribute the changes to a variety of factors, from people knowing and interacting with someone […]

short reads | Jun 12, 2013

Americans less accepting of homosexuality than other westerners – religion may be one reason

In recent years, same-sex marriage has been legalized in some parts of the United States and in 15 countries worldwide, in part because of the public’s changing views about the subject and because of increasing acceptance of homosexuality. But these shifts aren’t universal. When the Pew Research Center surveyed the publics in 39 countries this […]

Refine Your Results