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Community => Society and History => Topic started by: Shano on October 19, 2012, 04:02:35 pm

Title: Another survey on LGBT prevalence
Post by: Shano on October 19, 2012, 04:02:35 pm
http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/19/3-4-americans-identify-as-lgbt/?hpt=hp_t3 (http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/19/3-4-americans-identify-as-lgbt/?hpt=hp_t3)

A couple of interesting points:

1. Since the white demographic is most prevalent this points towards underreporting.
2. The survey shows that younger adults between the ages of 18 and 29 were more than three times as likely as seniors 65 and older to identify as LGBT - 6.4% of younger Americans said they were LGBT versus 1.9% of older people. I dare say the number among young adults is much closer to the truth and still underreported.
Title: Re: Another survey on LGBT prevalence
Post by: Witchyjoshy on October 19, 2012, 05:00:16 pm
First thing that comes to mind:

Define being LGBT and define being part of the LGBT community.

Second thing that comes to mind:

Yes, this massively feels like underreporting.  And of course, fundies are going to use this against us :-/ Hell, judging by the one comment I read, they already are.
Title: Re: Another survey on LGBT prevalence
Post by: Random Gal on October 20, 2012, 12:14:19 am
I also think there would have been more people identifying as LGBT if the question didn't mention the community. I'm really not part of any LGBT group and have only rarely encountered any other LGBT people IRL.
Title: Re: Another survey on LGBT prevalence
Post by: mellenORL on November 11, 2012, 01:39:12 pm
I remember back in the good ol' days before AIDS and Reagan, it was considered cool and liberated to say you were Bi. That even used to be a common pick-up line for straight guys to use on girls in bars. I think people are wayyyyy under reporting their attractions. Easily 25% of girls are at least bi-curious, and guys prolly the same. It's just the bad attitude creep that has happened as society drifted to the right over the past 35 years, and the hysterical stigma/fear of AIDS that sprang up in the early eighties.
Title: Re: Another survey on LGBT prevalence
Post by: Shano on November 11, 2012, 03:03:24 pm
I remember back in the good ol' days before AIDS and Reagan, it was considered cool and liberated to say you were Bi. That even used to be a common pick-up line for straight guys to use on girls in bars. I think people are wayyyyy under reporting their attractions. Easily 25% of girls are at least bi-curious, and guys prolly the same. It's just the bad attitude creep that has happened as society drifted to the right over the past 35 years, and the hysterical stigma/fear of AIDS that sprang up in the early eighties.

I understand your sentiment, but, as a scientist, I have to point out that gut feelings are not the way to judge things :). This is particularly relevant in light of the recent elections.
The field of LGBT surveying is marred with a lot of issues and indeed under-reporting is one most major one. A lot more work is needed to obtain a real picture of human sexuality.