Americans Vastly Overestimate Size of LGBT Population

[txradioguy]

Same-sex marriage is one of the fastest-moving social issues in U.S. history, having become legal in state after state as Americans cheer it in ever-growing numbers. But one thing is slightly off-kilter: Americans seem to have absolutely no idea just how many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are out there.

In fact, they think that 23 percent of Americans, or almost one in four, are LGBT, a Gallup survey released Thursday revealed. That's way off: The polling organization most recently found that less than 4 percent self-identify that way.

A third of people surveyed believed that LGBT made up more than 25 percent of the population. Just 9 percent of those in the survey correctly stated that they thought the group made up less than 5 percent of the population.

“Part of the explanation for the inaccurate estimates of the gay and lesbian population rests with Americans’ general unfamiliarity with numbers and demography.”

It's unclear why people think the LGBT population is six times larger than it actually is.

"Part of the explanation for the inaccurate estimates of the gay and lesbian population rests with Americans' general unfamiliarity with numbers and demography," Gallup ventured, noting that people also overestimate the size of the African-American and Hispanic populations in the U.S., although usually only by a factor of two. "The overestimation [of the size of the LGBT population] may also reflect prominent media portrayals of gay characters on television and in movies, even as far back as 2002, and perhaps the high visibility of activists who have pushed gay causes, particularly legalizing same-sex marriage."

Several gay, lesbian, bisexual, and even transgender characters have become prominent in recent years on TV shows such as “Modern Family,” “Scandal,” “Degrassi,” and “Glee,” as well as in movies including “Brokeback Mountain” and the Academy Award-winning biopic “The Imitation Game.”

Those who oppose same-sex marriage give slightly lower—but still way-too-high—estimates of the LGBT population than those who support it do, but the difference between the two groups’ estimates was within the margin of error of 4 percent.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-22/americans-vastly-overestimate-size-of-lgbt-population

[SVPete]

It's long been known that Kinsey's 10% figure was bogus, but Kinsey, like Margaret Sanger, is a secular saint. So the MSM have refused to report - if not denigrated - the fact that homosexuals of both varieties combine to comprise 3%-4% of the population in the US. Maybe that suppression is changing.

[DumbAss Tanker]

It's unclear why people think the LGBT population is six times larger than it actually is.

Actually pretty simple.  The perception of the numbers is proportional to the amount of media coverage BLTXYZ issues, and being screeching attention whores with a disproportionate media presence, it leads the populace to believe there are a lot more of them than there really are.

[obumazombie]

The most vocal minority.

[thundley4]

The most vocal minority.

The squeaky anus gets the lube.

[txradioguy]

Actually pretty simple.  The perception of the numbers is proportional to the amount of media coverage BLTXYZ issues, and being screeching attention whores with a disproportionate media presence, it leads the populace to believe there are a lot more of them than there really are.

That was my exact thought when I read that passage from the article.

It's the media...stupid!

[SVPete]

Homosexual activists and MSM folk (news and entertainment media) have colluded to serve up the twin narratives that homosexuals are everywhere and homosexuality is normal.

How all these sophisticated media folk who believe in Evolution can think a lifestyle that cannot reproduce is natural and normal, I don't get. I don't think they think about that bit of cognitive dissonance.

[obumazombie]

Homosexual activists and MSM folk (news and entertainment media) have colluded to serve up the twin narratives that homosexuals are everywhere and homosexuality is normal.

How all these sophisticated media folk who believe in Evolution can think a lifestyle that cannot reproduce is natural and normal, I don't get. I don't think they think about that bit of cognitive dissonance.

I thought I was on to something when I proposed that homos wanted legitimacy.
Now that they all but have legitimacy they have stepped it up a notch.
Now they want dominance.

[SVPete]

I thought I was on to something when I proposed that homos wanted legitimacy.
Now that they all but have legitimacy they have stepped it up a notch.
Now they want dominance.

The moving of the goalposts from being given full acceptance to having the power to force it under penalty of law began in the late 70s, and gained steam in the 90s.