Most People Overestimate Size of Gay Population, Causing Diminished Support for LGBT Rights, Study Finds
A majority of Americans overestimate the size of the gay population, and those who do are more likely to oppose equal rights for LGBT individuals, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of Kansas looked at two national surveys, conducted in 1977 and 2013, that measured attitudes on the U.S.’s lesbian and gay population. In both surveys, respondents tended to pad their estimate of the number of gays in America — believed to be anywhere between three and 10 percent of the total population — a phenomenon that was prominent regardless of one’s political or religious beliefs.
November 2 / StudyFinds