New data released in June shows that
California has the nation's largest LGBT population.
The Public Policy Institute of
California (PPIC) published an analysis of new data from the U.S.
Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey.
According to PPIC's
analysis, 2.7 million California adults identify as lesbian, gay,
bisexual or transgender.
California has a higher share of adults
who identify as LGBT than that of any other highly populated state.
Among the ten most populated states,
9.1 percent of adults in California identify as LGBT. Texas is second
(8.4%) and New York is third (8.2%). North Carolina has the lowest
share at 6.3%.
“California’s LGBT community
includes a broad range of identities, not all of which are captured
in the census data,” wrote PPI Senior Fellow Hans Johnson in a blog
post. “According to this data, about half (49%) of LGBT adults in
California describe themselves as bisexual, similar to the rest of
the US. Slightly over one third (36%) describe themselves as gay or
lesbian, and 15% as transgender. Far more men identify as gay
(722,000) than women as lesbian (257,000). In contrast, almost three
times as many women (928,000) as men (363,000) describe themselves as
bisexual.”
Equality California Executive Director
Tony Hoang said that the findings show that California's LGBT
community is “a powerful force to be reckoned with.”
"California's LGBTQ+ community is
not only a key component of the diverse fabric of our state, but also
a powerful force to be reckoned with,” Hoang said in a statement.
“Equality California and our partners will continue fighting for
proportional representation in government and a fair share of public
resources to address our community's unique needs and challenges.”