With the upcoming tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed the right of same sex couples to marry in the United States, Pew Research Center has released a report on how LGBTQ+ Americans perceive they are accepted. Results are mixed among the various identities represented in the LGBTQ+ community.
For example, for those identifying as gay or lesbian, 61% said there is a “great deal” or “fair amount” of acceptance, with 29% saying “some” and 8% saying there is no acceptance. The story for transgender Americans paints a different picture. Only 13% of transgender individuals surveyed said there is a “great deal” or “fair amount” of acceptance, with 31% saying “some.” More than half (52%) believe there is “not much” acceptance or “none at all.”
The study asked respondents to reflect on various relationships in their lives and the levels of acceptance they experienced regarding their LGBTQ+ identity. Among all LGBTQ+ adults surveyed, siblings were found to be the most supportive relationship, with 69% stating that their siblings are accepting of them. Broken up into identities, 58% of transgender respondents and 74% of gay or lesbian respondents say their siblings are supportive.
Only about a third (31%) of transgender Americans say their parents are supportive of them, with slightly more than half (52%) of gay and lesbian individuals believing their parents are accepting.
Extended family represents the least supportive relationships, with 11% of transgender and 33% of gay or lesbian respondents saying that group is supportive of them.
The study measured various other sentiments, including identification with the broader LGBTQ+ community across different identities and perceived social acceptance of each identity. More results and analysis for the study can be found here.
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