For your reference: Our LGBT in Changing Times page has our surveys, data and resources on public attitudes on this community.
Fact Tank: 5 Facts About Fathers
Happy Father’s Day! From the Fact Tank, 5 Fast Facts about Fathers:
- Last year there were about 189,000 stay-at-home dads in the U.S., caring for an estimated 369,000 children.
- Fathers have nearly tripled the amount of time they spend with their children, from 2.5 hours in 1965 to 7.3 hours per week in 2011.
- More than three-quarters of new fathers took one week or less off from work after the birth or adoption of their most recent child.
Click here for two more facts and info on our data sourcing.
"Usually, it’s not a big issue. People ask if I have a boyfriend. I say, ‘No, I have a girlfriend,’ and they say, ‘Oops, sorry,’ and I say it’s not a problem."
—
51-year-old lesbian
Age when you first thought you might not be heterosexual: 20
Age when you knew for sure: 21
Age when you first told someone: 21
Read more survey responses in our data explorer: Coming Out.
A majority of the American public backs phone tracking by the NSA, according to our survey released earlier in the week.
What’s expected of dads in America today?
"Coming out is not a single event. One comes out repeatedly throughout one’s life, so with every person, you have the choice about whether to come out or not. For many people, it simply isn’t important to me whether they know or not. Sometimes (in business settings, especially) my sexual orientation is not relevant, so I don’t bother, but for people I care about, I am likely to come out, simply to establish an authentic relationship."
—
72-year-old gay man
Age when you first thought you might not be heterosexual: 9
Age when you knew for sure: 22
Age when you first told someone: 48
Read more survey responses in our data explorer: Coming Out.
"What we find is that for LGBT Americans, these are the best of times, but that doesn’t mean these are easy times. Many are still searching for a comfortable place in a society where acceptance is growing but remains limited."
— Paul Taylor, executive vice president, of the Pew Research Center, on our new survey of LGBT Americans.
12 is the median age at which lesbian, gay and bisexual adults first felt they might be something other than heterosexual or straight. Among those who have “come out” to a family member or close friend, 20 is the median age at which they first did so.
“I really have not had to tell anyone. I am usually asked. My parents still do not understand, and it is something that is never discussed with my family.”
— 52 year old gay man
Our interactive data explorer lets you sort through a variety of personal coming-out experiences.
ICYMI: Our report has very recent data on how Americans feel about privacy, security and the NSA.
"Growing up in a conservative Christian family made initially coming out very difficult. I was unsure about how they would accept me. At this point in my life, I am more confident in who I am. Anyone I tell who does not know might be surprised or uncomfortable with my candidness, but I’m not afraid of their judgment. Overall, the process has been good, but early on, it was difficult because I was afraid of being ostracized at college and at home."
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28-year-old lesbian
Age when you first thought you might not be heterosexual: 9
Age when you knew for sure: 15
Age when you first told someone: 22
Read more survey responses in our data explorer: Coming Out.
In the Pew Research Center’s survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults, we asked respondents to describe how the process of telling people about their sexual orientation/gender identity has been for them personally.
The Pew Research Center’s survey of 1,197 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adultsasked respondents about three key points in their coming out journey—when they first felt they might be something other than straight or heterosexual, when they knew for sure they were LGBT and when they first told a close friend or family member.
Our brand-new survey of Americans who identify as LGBT has a number of findings, including the following:
- An overwhelming share of America’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults (92%) say society has become more accepting of them in the past decade and an equal number expect it to grow even more accepting in the decade ahead.
- 39% say that at some point in their lives they were rejected by a family member or close friend because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- 30% say they have been physically attacked or threatened; 29% say they have been made to feel unwelcome in a place of worship; and 21% say they have been treated unfairly by an employer. 58% say they’ve been the target of slurs or jokes.
- 56% say they have told their mother about their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 39% have told their father.
- 12 is the median age at which lesbian, gay and bisexual adults first felt they might be something other than heterosexual or straight.
- Among those who have shared this information with a family member or close friend, 20 is the median age at which they first did so.
