How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?

Increasing numbers of population-based surveys in  the United States and across the world include  questions designed to measure sexual orientation and gender identity.  Understanding the size of the  lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population is a critical first step to informing a host of  public policy and research topics.  Examples include assessing  health and economic disparities in the  LGBT community,  understanding  the prevalence of anti-LGBT discrimination, and considering the  economic impact of marriage equality or the provision of  domestic partnership benefits to same-sex  couples.  This research brief discusses challenges associated with collecting better information about the  LGBT community and reviews findings from eleven recent US and international surveys that ask sexual  orientation or gender identity questions.  The brief concludes with estimates of the size of the  LGBT population in the United States.

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