One in Ten People Are Gay??

Question

I hear this statistic everywhere but how did they come up with it?
It would be so hard to collect the data and everything, i mean if a questionnaire was used to collect the data people may lie and its hard to include EVERYONE in the world

and does its include people who are in the closet?

I'm not homophobic and NO homophobic answers please - i really hate homophobia and i don't wanna hear anything you have against homosexuals. I'm not interested

I heard it in college and read it somewhere.

also - in a census you can't get everyone to take part can you? and if you can you can't really make them tell the truth

Answer 1

No one knows for sure. Not everyone is honest in surveys.

I've heard the number ranges from 1% - 18%.

Answer 2

Many surveys have been done in different places, across different groups in society. Different numbers are quoted but they mostly all say between 7-14%. I think this is the adjusted estimate, accounting for people in the closet. (The only reason it would vary is because in some places they wouldn't dare to admit to it - for example, places in the middle east you can be executed for being gay. Or maybe homophobic areas. Rich or poor, black or white there would be no real trends when you cut out the other stuff).

This wouldn't include people who are kinda bisexual, or people in the closet, no. Because the only way to find out is by asking people. No one who is straight would answer they are gay on a survey, but it would easily happen the other way around.

Yes it really is that %. From just the people I know from university (and no, I dont predominantly hang out in gay/lesbian circles so I have a pretty unbiased view) I would have guessed this amount even without the researched statistical evidence.

Straight people are probably surprised to find it is this high, because they don't hang out in gay/lesbian circles so aren't exposed to it as much. Not being gay also means you don't pick up on it from subtle references as much as we would. We would be looking out for and recognizing other gay/lesbian people, and so we notice them whereas you would just assume they're straight and think nothing more of it.

By the way, everybody is on a scale of sexuality from 100% straight to 100% gay. Google "the kinsey scale" and you'll see what I mean. The distribution is obviously not even. Also, people like to categorize themselves, and so most the time it seems that people are at either of the far ends of the scale, or right in the middle -bisexual. And so the kinsey scale is not as obvious in real life. And I second the motion that it doesn't matter how many people are gay, it doesn't make discriminating against us any better.

Answer 3

The scientific study "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" by Indiana University researchers Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell B. Pomeroy, and Clyde E. Martin reported that 37% of males had homosexual experiences, but this figure includes incidental homosexual experience. The study reported 10% of males being more or less exclusively homosexual.

Subsequent studies such as "The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior" by researchers Samuel S. Janus and Cynthia L. Janus & "Homosexuality / Heterosexuality" by researchers David P. McWhirter, Stephanie A. Sanders, and June Machover Reinisch reported the exclusively homosexual male population to be 9% & 13.95% respectively, which supports the Indiana University findings of 10%, or 1 in 10.

Answer 4

hehehe well that statistic is absurd as there is no way of measuring whose gay and who isnt
but what id like to know is who cares? I mean we're all people right? noone any longer goes around with a census of whose white black catholic potestant, long hair short hair, likes marmite doesnt like marmite etc etc. I ts just riduclous, and theres abook called Lies, Damn lies and Statistics and that basicaly outlines how most statitscics are false or msleading and are mostly used for personal gain and popaganda. So that pecentage must be wrong because ofcourse they havnt taken a censues of evrybody in the wold and it is not possible toi dicern who is lying or who didnt answer the essay etc etc. Soo my answer is we shouldnt focu on labeling people but our soiciety should be one of love and tolerance where we dont view people any differnelty just becuae of which gendeder they prefer and that way hopmosexual men wont have to keep going in public toilets al the time to look for sex but can just mastubate in the open on the high treet whilst waiting for the bus.

Answer 5

You're right that it is very hard to determine an actual number, but from the last US Census of 2000 it was found that the percentage of those who actually answered question regarding same-sex cohabitation was about 2 -3% of the entire population.
Yes, this does NOT count those who are single and homosexual, nor did it count those who simply refused to answer or who are still closeted.

So, from the data we have it's safely ASSUMED that there is a much higher percentage who did not answer or that the census questions did not cover.

It was found that in 99% of all US counties, gays and lesbians are found to reside!!!

Answer 6

There is 2 ways of collecting data from people, a census, or sample. A census involves taking a vote from everyone in a region. A sample is when you would ask a limited number of people.

Answer 7

I've heard figures ranging from 1 and 18% as well.

I do not know the answer to this. I do not know of any ligitimate study into this, nor wether it includes bisexuals. Also, it does not include the amount of people that would lie about their sexual experiences. Nor those who just don't know yet, are struggling so say no, or may, later in life, go that rout.

I'm gay, I really don't care what percent of the world is gay, and don't really think it matters.

If there were only 2 gay people in the whole world, they would still deserve the same rights as everyone else.

Answer 8

i heard that 1 on 6 guys were gay and that 1 in 9 girls are lesbian but then again u'll never know for sure coz alot of them are closeted and if they were to do a count alot of them wouldnt admit it anyway

dont listen to statistics none of them are accurate and no-one will ever know for sure

Answer 9

I believe ALL males are gay with inherently heterosexual tendencies...

Answer 10

I doubt it's that low, and of course it couldn't include closeted gays (That's why they are in the closet). I live in a small city and about 50% of my friends are gay and 50% are not. Among my friends who are gay a few have had straight experiences, and among my friends who identify as straight a few have had gay experiences. In the years since my state enacted legislation protecting gay rights lots more people have come out of the closet. But I doubt anybody has "turned" gay. It certainly is more fun being openly gay. If only to piss off the religious right.