On 8 April 2011 The Williams Institute turned 10 and they decided to celebrate by sharing 10 things that their research has shown about LGBT people and issues.
Top 10 Things We Wouldn't Know Without
The Williams Institute
- 9 million LGBT people live in the U.S., or 3.8 % of the adult population
- LGBT people are racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse: 1 in 4 LGBT people are people of color, and same-sex couples identified themselves on the Census in 99% of U.S. counties
- A substantial percentage of LGBT people are raising children: 1 in 5 same-sex couples, and 6% of children in foster care are being raised by LGB people
- LGB people are serving in the Armed Forces: 71,000 are currently serving and there are over 1 million LGB veterans in the U.S.
- 70,000 same-sex couples have gotten married in the U.S.; 90,000 have entered civil unions and domestic partnerships
- The annual divorce rate for same-sex couples and different-sex married couples is similar -- about 2%
- LGBT people are not more affluent. Gay men earn 10 to 23% less, on average, than heterosexual men. Children of same-sex couples are twice as likely to live in poverty.
- Rates of hate crimes and employment discrimination against LGBT people are similar or higher than those for other protected groups. Until the Williams Institute, no one analyzed this data on a per capita basis, taking into account the size of the LGBT population.
- Don't Ask, Don't Tell cost taxpayers as much as $500 million during the length of the policy.
- If all 50 states and the federal government recognized marriage for same-sex couples, the federal budget would benefit by over $1 billion each year.
