Are there statistics showing what percentage of men and women are gay, lesbian or bisexual?

Question

Im trying to settle an issue with boyfriend who thinks it is very uncommen, but I say it is!

Answer 1

Kinsey's research, which was based on confidential interviews of college students, placed the ratio at one in ten, or ten percent. Conservative estimates are lower, more at one percent, and are not based on scientifically valid testing. More recent polling indicates eight to ten percent is a pretty accurate measure. Thus, in our country of three hundred million, factoring out children, that means about fifteen to twenty million GLBT people in our country. Hope this helps to settle the issue with your boyfriend. Look up Kinsey's work if you want to show him more numbers!

Answer 2

1) What exactly are you asking? 2) Why are you trying to deal in absolutes? The information you are using demonstrates that the reality is that a large grey/middle area exists. I would suggest that you may be reading the information but either not understanding it or trying to simplify it, or simply choosing what suits your own viewpoint. I could go through what you've posted with a fine tooth comb, identifying how the selective use of language changes the reality. Your use of statistics is also open to criticism, selective, unreported and assuming one figure based on an only vaguely related figure is not good method. For your assignment you score an F

Answer 3

There are tons of statistics, most saying what the author wants them to say.

I read a long scientific study about this, published back in 1996. The proportions were about 5% gay, 95% straight among men, with very few men actually being bisexual, and 2-3% gay, 4-5% bi and the rest straight among women.

It depends on the location as well. Cities tend to have higher proportions because gay people tend to migrate to urban centres away from their original homes more than straight people (for obvious reasons). Gay people are also more likely to go to university, so about 10-12% of men in (Western European anyway) universities and by extension, university towns, are gay.

The proportions did not vary among social or financial status, geopgraphical location (apart from the urban thing) or religious or cultural upbringing.

Answer 4

It is an old truism that there are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics. You can use statistics, by controlling your data base and accepted input to say anything you want. The percentages that are commonly accepted, around 10% with there being no such thing as a bi-sexual, are based on the assumption that random samplings are always indicative of the general population and that no-one is in the closet. If, in fact, there are actually people who are gay and conceal it, then no meaning-full percentage can be determined. The sex researcher Alfred Kinsey believed that the idea that people must be be either totally straight or totally gay was unreflective of reality. He, therefor, defined a scale of sexual preference as follows:
0=Physically unable to respond to the same sex.
1=Over whelming preference for the opposite but capable of responding under extra-ordinary conditions, like a man in prison.
2=Still a strong preference for the opposite sex, but more flexible and open to experimentation.
3=Mild preference for opposite sex, but comfortable either way.
4=same as 3, but towards same sex.
5=Gay equivalent of 2.
6=Gay equivalent of 1.
7=Gay equivalent of 0.
It must be remembered that the question is one of preference and ability to respond, not to actions. If a 2 never chooses to get involved in a same sex encounter it doesn't mean the capacity isn't there. It is like a Trappist monk with his vow of silence, he chooses not to speak, it doesn't mean he can't. Kinsey also believed that 0s and 7s were quite rare, with social conditioning playing a large part. By this standard most people are in the 1-6 range, with 1-2 being straight, 3-4 being bi, and 5-6 being gay.

Answer 5

Estimates of the amount of homosexuality in the population range between 3% of the population and 10% of the population. I'm not sure about bisexuality.

So, in other words, 3 out of every 100 people you meet are probably gay. Whether or not you consider that "common", i do not know.

Answer 6

They say 10%, but that's the ones who admit it. I'm sure it's a lot higher.

Answer 7

I like women 75% of the time and I like two women 25% of the time. Does this make me Bi ?

Answer 8

its 2 or 3 percent max...don't believe the hype

Answer 9

I agree with Exxton's answer.

Answer 10

ten percent is what I have heard. Tell your bf it is more common than he thinks.