Census & LGBT Demographic Studies

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  Same-sex Couples in Census 2010: Race and Ethnicity

  By Gary J. Gates
  April 2012
  

  Newly released Census 2010 data highlight unique aspects of racial and ethnic diversity within same-sex couples. They are more likely than their different-sex counterparts to be interracial or interethnic and couples that include a racial or ethnic minority are more likely to be raising children. Fully a third of same-sex couples that include an Hispanic partner are raising children.

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  Family Formation and Raising Children Among Same-sex Couples

  By Gary Gates
  January 2012
  

  Proportionally fewer same-sex couples are raising children today than in 2006, and their families reflect greater racial/ethnic and socioeconomic diversity than often represented in the media and academic research, according to new analyses by Williams Distinguished Scholar Dr. Gary Gates, published by the National Council of Family Relations.

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• Same-sex Couples and Immigration in the United States

  Gary J. Gates and Craig Konnoth
  November 2011
  

  There are an estimated 28,500 binational same-sex couples and nearly 11,500 same-sex couples in which neither partner is a U.S. citizen. Press releases in both English and Spanish within.

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• United States – Census Snapshot 2010

  September 2011
  

  A new Williams Institute analysis of Census 2010 data shows that nearly 132,000 (20%) of the nearly 650,000 same-sex couples in the U.S. identified as spouses. Data further showed that 31% of couples who identified as spouses and 14% of unmarried partners are raising children. The analyses in the new national report use new estimates of same-sex couples released by the Census Bureau that revise tabulations released earlier this summer.

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• Testimony on the Demographic Characteristics of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Latinos and Latinos in Same-Sex Couples

  By Craig J. Konnoth
  July 2011
  

  Many of the issues that Latino Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals face are insufficiently understood. This testimony explains that existing demographic data about Latino LGB individuals show that these individuals, who constitute the greatest number of same-sex partners of color in the United States, differ significantly from their non-Latino LGB counterparts, as well as from straight Latino individuals in numerous ways.

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• New Information on Impending Release of Census Data on Same-Sex Couples

  Press Release
  May 2011
  

  The Williams Institute will continue its leading role in disseminating US Census data on same-sex couples with the impending release of the 2010 Census data.

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• How Many People are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender?

  By Gary J. Gates
  April 2011
  

  Drawing on information from four recent national and two state-level population-based surveys, the analyses suggest that there are more than 8 million adults in the US who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, comprising 3.5% of the adult population.

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• Statewide Estimation of Racial/Ethnic Populations of Men Who Have Sex with Men in the U.S.

  January 2011
  

  Men who have sex with men (MSM) bear the greatest burden of human immunodeficiency virus HIV/AIDS in every state in the U.S., but their populations are poorly defined. Authors of the study estimated and compared populations of MSM in 2007 by region, state, and race/ethnicity.

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• Utah Census Snapshot: New Study on Same-Sex Couples in Utah

  By Jody L. Herman, Christy Mallory, M.V. Lee Badgett, Gary J. Gates
  November 2010
  

  This report provides demographic and economic information for the more than 3,800 same-sex couples living in Utah. Using data from the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, we compared characteristics of Utah’s same-sex couples to their different-sex married counterparts.

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• New Census Bureau Data Shows Growth in Same-Sex Couples Outpacing Population

  October 2010
  

  Williams Institute analyses of newly release data from the 2009 American Community Survey show that the estimated number of same-sex couples who identified themselves as either spouses or unmarried partners increased at three times the rate of population growth from 2008 to 2009.

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• Sexual Minorities in the 2008 General Social Survey: Coming Out and Demographic Characteristics

  By Gary J. Gates
  October 2010
  

  Data from the 2008 General Social Survey (GSS) indicate that nearly 9% of adults either identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or report having had same-sex sexual experiences as an adult.

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• Same-Sex couples in US Census Bureau Data: Who Gets Counted and Why

  By Gary J. Gates
  September 2010
  

  This research brief highlights key findings of a national survey of cohabiting same-sex couples designed to understand if and how they completed their Census 2010 forms and why they chose the options they did to identify their relationship.

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• Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Men and Women in the US Military: Updated Estimates

  By Gary J. Gates
  May 2010
  

  This research brief uses new data from the American Community Survey and the General Social Survey to provide updated estimates of how many lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGB) are serving in the US military.

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• Census 2010 LGBT Basics

  By Gary J. Gates
  March 2010
  

  This brief provides information for the LGBT community about the upcoming Census 2010.

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• Best Practices for Asking Questions about Sexual Orientation on Surveys

  November 2009
  

  This report presents the findings from a multi-year effort of an expert panel of scholars, the Sexual Minority Assessment Research Team (SMART), to identify the best practices for asking questions about sexual orientation on surveys.

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• Estimating Populations of Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Southern United States

  November 2009
  

  Population estimates of men who have sex with men (MSM) by state and race/ethnicity are lacking, hampering effective HIV epidemic monitoring and targeting of outreach and prevention efforts. We created three models to estimate the proportion and number of adult males who are MSM in 17 southern states.

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• Same-Sex Couples in the 2008 American Community Survey

  By Gary J. Gates
  September 2009
  

  The US Census Bureau has released new data regarding same-sex couples from the 2008 American Community Survey.

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• Same-Sex Spouses and Unmarried Partners in the American Community Survey, 2008

  By Gary J. Gates
  September 2009
  

  The US Census Bureau release of data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) included the first official estimates for the number of same-sex couples who called one partner a “husband” or “wife”.

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• Poverty in the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community

  By Randy Albelda, M.V. Lee Badgett, Gary J. Gates, Alyssa Schneebaum
  March 2009
  

  This report undertakes the first analysis of the poor and low-income lesbian, gay, and bisexual population. We find clear evidence that poverty is at least as common in the LGB population as among heterosexual people and their families.

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• Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders of Color Sampling Methodology: Strategies for Collecting Data in Small, Hidden, or Hard-to-Reach Groups To Reduce Tobacco-Related Health Disparities

  December 2008
  

  This report is a collaboration of the LGBTs of Color Sampling Methodology meeting group. It summarizes the meeting format and content, provides a brief overview of the problem of tobacco use among LGBT and racial and ethnic minorities, and makes recommendations to help eliminate tobacco-related health disparities.

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