Tuesday, 10 October 2006

Study: 70 Percent of Straight People Say They Know Someone Gay



A new national survey reveals that seven out of ten heterosexuals say they know someone who is gay. That's 70 percent of American adults.

Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, research and marketing experts respectively who specialize in gay, lesbian, bi and trans issues, surveyed nearly 3000 people last month to assemble their findings.

A small number of those surveyed (less than 10%) identified as GLBT. One alarming piece of data gathered shows that of the GLBT respondents, more than half say that concern about being the victim of a hate crime would be a reason for a person to not come out. Other concerns that GLBT adults cite about why a person might not come out include rejection by their families (39%), rejection by their friends (32%) and losing their jobs (27%). But 83 percent of those who identify as gay or lesbian consider themselves "out" to one degree or another.

“Though attitudes throughout American society toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have changed tremendously over the past several decades, it’s not surprising to learn that there is still a widespread concern among gays and lesbians about becoming a victim of hate if they are open about their sexual orientation,” said Wes Combs, President of Witeck-Combs Communications.  “But the results of this survey are encouraging about the numbers of people who choose to be open in spite of the risks.”


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3 comments:

Anonymous said...


Yes, I knew someone who was gay.  He's dead.  Aids.

Anonymous said...

camar...aids affects both lifestyles.  I know many gays and they are great, giving people. They do more for charities than most of the straight people I know.

Anonymous said...

This is a rediculous statement.   It is like saying 70 percent of straight people know someone who has a Mercedes.    What determines if someone is gay? If they have sex with the same sex once, twice, three times, once a year, once every 10 years?   It is utterly stupid to think than a normal human being has not had sex with their own sex at least once.   I  Matt Damon "gay"?  I bet he has had sex with a man at some point? How about Tom Cruise?  I bet he has.  How about Harrison Ford? I bet not.  How about Prince Albert of Monaco?  I bet he has, however the women he has been with would argue.   Get the picture?