WASHINGTON, June 14 (UPI) — Nine in 10 members of the U.S. LGBT community say society is more accepting now and anticipate that acceptance to grow, a Pew Research survey indicated.
The 92 percent who said society has become more accepting attribute the changes to factors such as high-profile public figures who are advocating on their behalf, people knowing an interacting with someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, to LGBT adults raising families, Pew said Thursday in a release.
The nationwide survey of the LGBT community also recorded ways they say they have been stigmatized by society. Thirty-nine percent said they were rejected by a family member or close friend at some point because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and 30 percent said they were physically attacked or threatened.
Results also indicated 29 percent said they felt unwelcome in a place of worship and 21 percent said they were treated unfairly by an employer.
About six-in-10 said they were the subject of slurs or jokes.
The survey indicated 12 is the median age at which lesbian, gay and bisexual adults first thought they may be something other than heterosexual or straight. The median age for those who say they knew for certain they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender was 17.
The online survey of 1,197 LGBT adults was conducted April 11-29. The margin of error is 4.1 percentage points.
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