The following comes from a May 31 story posted on TheAtlantic.com.

One in ten. It’s the name of the group that puts on the Reel Affirmations gay and lesbian film festival in Washington, D.C., each year. It’s the percent popularized by the Kinsey Report as the size of the gay male population. And it’s among the most common figures pointed to in popular culture as an estimate of how many people are gay or lesbian.

But what percentage of the population is actually gay or lesbian? With the debate over same-sex marriage again an emerging fault line in American political life, the answer comes as a surprise: A lower number than you might think — and a much, much, much lower one than most Americans believe.

In surveys conducted in 2002 and 2011, pollsters at Gallup found that members of the American public massively overestimated how many people are gay or lesbian. In 2002, a quarter of those surveyed guessed upwards of a quarter of Americans were gay or lesbian (or “homosexual,” the third option given).

By 2011, that misperception had only grown, with more than a third of those surveyed now guessing that more than 25 percent of Americans are gay or lesbian. Women and young adults were most likely to provide high estimates, approximating that 30 percent of the population is gay.

Overall, “U.S. adults, on average, estimate that 25 percent of Americans are gay or lesbian,” Gallup found. Only 4 percent of all those surveyed in 2011 and about 8 percent of those surveyed in 2002 correctly guessed that fewer than 5 percent of Americans identify as gay or lesbian.

Such a misunderstanding of the basic demographics of sexual behavior and identity in America has potentially profound implications for the acceptance of the gay-rights agenda. On the one hand, people who overestimate the percent of gay Americans by a factor of 12 seem likely to also wildly overestimate the cultural impact of same-sex marriage. On the other hand, the extraordinary confusion over the percentage of gay people may reflect a triumph of the gay and lesbian movement’s decades-long fight against invisibility and the closet.

“My first reaction to that, aside from a little chuckle, is that it’s actually a sign of the success of the movement for LGBT rights,” said Stuart Gaffney, a spokesman for the group Marriage Equality USA. “We are a small minority, and we will never have full equality without the support of the majority, and a poll like that suggests the majority is extremely aware of their gay neighbors, coworkers, and friends.”

In recent years, as homosexuality has become less stigmatized, pro-gay rights groups have come around to acknowledging that a smaller percent of people identify themselves as gay than some of the early gay rights rhetoric claimed, based on Alfred Kinsey’s 1948 report, “Sexuality in the Human Male.” His survey research on non-random populations in the immediate post-World War II period concluded that 10 percent of men “were predominantly homosexual between the ages of 16 and 55” and that 37 percent had had at least one homosexual experience in their lives, but did not get into questions of identity per se.

Contemporary research in a less homophobic environment has counterintuitively resulted in lower estimates rather than higher ones. The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, a gay and lesbian think tank, released a study in April 2011 estimating based on its research that just 1.7 percent of Americans between 18 and 44 identify as gay or lesbian, while another 1.8 percent — predominantly women — identify as bisexual.

Far from underestimating the ranks of gay people because of homophobia, these figures included a substantial number of people who remained deeply closeted, such as a quarter of the bisexuals. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey of women between 22 and 44 that questioned more than 13,500 respondents between 2006 and 2008 found very similar numbers: Only 1 percent of the women identified themselves as gay, while 4 percent identified as bisexual.

To read entire story, Click here.

 

READER COMMENTS

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 12:12 AM By JLS
Trying to gather accurate information about gay deceivers poses an interesting challenge.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 2:43 AM By Abeca Christian
This website has an obsession with reporting on gay issues. So what if there are few of them but the number of those in power, are higher who support them. Plus depending on where you live, like California for instance, it seems like there are too many.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 4:42 AM By charlio
What a contrast between being and action. God made SSA afflicted persons in His own image. Lovely and pure. Set aside for holiness. The actions which are unworthy of mention or imagination are extremely nasty. In getting the majority to overlook or accept this fact the After The Ball propaganda has succeeded in dragging the whole society down into the sewer. This is central to the Planned Parenthood plan.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 6:21 AM By Sue in soCal
I have posted on many commentary sections over the years the 2% or less figure when trying to get people to see how such a tiny minority is driving such a huge agenda. And when speaking of those in this minority who want to get married you have a minority of a minority driving an agenda. I warn my students often of lies, vile lies, and statistics. Here is the poster child for that statement. Don’t get me started on global warming!

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 7:19 AM By JMJ
It is more likely that only 2% of the population are truly homosexual, which means that 98% are normal and those that know Jesus and have a Holy fear of God are truly gay, and how many would that be? Maybe just over 50%. When will Catholics and other Christians quit attacking and insulting normal people that have Gay somehow in their name, misusing the term ‘gay’ to describe something that is filthy and abnormal to God? _JMJ_

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 7:23 AM By Janet
I would recommend you all to go to Dr Judith Reisman’s website and watch for free the excellent DVD (The Kinsey Syndrome – Absolute Wickedness) that she has produced, showing the damaging and far-reaching effects Kinsey’s “research” has had on our society. It is shocking and it is an eye-opener. It has been her life’s mission to put the truth out there.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 7:39 AM By Canisius
The culture has been brow beaten by gay “rights” thugs to make the rest of us believe they are 10 percent of the population, when they are about 2 percent. They are a dangerous minority and its time to put them in their place

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 7:40 AM By MD
Well, you have to give credit to the gay activists who have fooled the American people into thinking that ¼ of America is homosexual when the reality is more like 3 % to 4% of the population is same sex attracted. Trusting the proponents of the homosexual agenda who promote such garbage is as logical as identifying the idiocy of Planned Parenthood’s claim that they actually help women and babies as truthful. We as Christians cannot be silent any longer and have to proclaim the truth to the world for the sake of Jesus Christ. God Love You.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 8:36 AM By Laurette Eslberry
Thank you for providing this article. Other studies have shown similar results – that the number of homosexuals is greatly exaggerated. Dr. Paul Cameron and the Family Research Institute (familyresearchinst(dot)org) leads the field in the study of the social and physical dimensions of the “gay” juggernaut. Think back in history to see what can happen when a small number of people who have a specific goal can take over an entire country. For example, look at what Hitler accomplished in Germany. Most Germans were not Nazis. Think about Communism. While only 3% of its population were Communists, that Godless movement controlled Russia. The “gay” movement has the phenomenon of “political correctness” and false compassion on its side, as well as the deafening silence on the part of Church leaders and the full support and promotion by the Godless media. All past civilizations that have fallen into homosexuality have collapsed. That is where the Western civilizations nearly are today. All that can stop this total decline now is the Grace of God.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 8:50 AM By Catholic Joe
We’ve fallen into the trap by identifying facts to allay fears. Whether it’s 1 in 10 or 1 in 100…The LGBT agenda to change school curriculum, culture and marriage has something many of us lack: courage, zeal and persistance. It’s not the numbers, but the passion for a cause. Our cause is the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice for our humanity’s chance at salvation. Let’s model authentic fire and devotion for family values, the Gospel and exclusively seeing sex intrinsicallyconnected to marriage and procreation–not just pleasure. Contraception (as well as abortion which is the ugliest of contraception) undermines the Christian family atmosphere in culture and creates a pervasive LGBT platform–something you all lament with anxiety. If you don’t loudly promote tranditional family values AND staunchly oppose contraception, you’ll permit society’s ongoing decay.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 9:02 AM By Marie
I found a fascinating website which makes an extremely important point in just its name alone: “queerbychoice(dotcom). It’s very enlightening to look at. One thought that brings a certain amount of logic into the equation: If a person is bi-sexual, in other words a part-time homosexual, how can it be that that person was “born that way”? Doesn’t that just mean that the person is a sexual libertine? Any sex will do? If the “gay” rights movement includes bi-sexuals in their list of sexual minoritie sdoesn’t that show clearly that their arguments are worthless? Homosexuality is a sexual disorientation, and all its spinoffs – transssexualism, pederasty, sado-masochism, etc., are even worse perversions.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 9:40 AM By Thomas Edward Miles
WHO CARES, TALK ABOUT BEATING A DEAD HORSE, THE HORSE IS DEAD, PLEASE, FORGET ABOUT IT!!

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 9:42 AM By JLS
Reisman has done a brilliant job of exposing the evil of Kinsey and how society has been and is still being spiritually raped by it.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 9:47 AM By JLS
charlio, your insinuation that God is homosexual will not get you any graces; you’ll smolder for a while and then burst into flames for all eternity. Your rant violates all Eleven Commandments ie the Decalog and the Greatest Commandment: This level of abomination puts you square in the movement to legalize molestation of children and adults and to totally pervert society.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 9:49 AM By JLS
It’s because, Abeca, that the gay movement is the serpent’s royal guard and is busy worming its way while injecting its spiritual death venom into the hearts of many.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 11:09 AM By Brad
I would like to mention to Christians that the 6-hued rainbow flag is a satanic nose-thumbing at the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The demon can create nothing, only pervert what the Father creates, and can only mock. The 6-hued rainbow shows itself as a perversion of the true, 7-hued, rainbow given by God as his true sign to mankind. The souls who rally under its 6-hued aegis are ignorant, mostly, of the demonic reality. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. “…and fulfilled on them is the prophecy of Isaiah, that saith, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and ye shall not perceive, for made gross was the heart of this people, and with the ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they did close, lest they might see with the eyes, and with the ears might hear, and with the heart understand, and turn back, and I might heal them. And happy are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear, for verily I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men did desire to see that which ye look on, and they did not see, and to hear that which ye hear, and they did not hear.”

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 1:27 PM By Patrick
Since the Gallup polls are usually fairly representative of society for a short window in time, is it any wonder that so many people care less and choose to stick their head in the sand on homosexuallity? Heterosexuals afraid to stand up because of the hate crime bills and undercurrent throughout the federal and a few state governments by overachieveing LGBT members, judges, legistlators, (now president too), and their sympathizers to deceive and change the world making it more tolerant. Some will take any bribe for a vote! Their LGBT behavior is abhorrant, especially noted at gay pride parades, some novus ordo services, and insulting to the Blessed Trinity, Communion of Saints, good Christian-Judeo principles, values, and practicing members. I wish Gallup, Pew, or CARA would do a study to report widely, accurately, and in the major media what the HIV/AIDS vulnerability, rate of infection, spread of infection, community impact, most common symptoms, full-recovery rate, life-expectancy, and death rate statistics are for drug using and sexually active LGBT community members compared to the rest of society — i.e., including heterosexuals sharing drug paraphanalia and fornicating. If only these statistics were brought to light frequently, there might be a few people that might come to the conclusion that homosexuallity and fornicating is not worth it after seeing the wrath of God. Unfortunately, the national media hides the details. When was the last time the American Medical Association or World Health Organization, or US Health and Human Services czar published any information/statistics for the common good? The trouble is there are a few LGBTr’s that have infiltrated our highest government offices and been able to demand and perpetrate their agendas for tolerance and open acceptance using devious and deceitful methods, like going after our innocent school children. Just seeking and speaking the truth!

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 1:51 PM By Jimmy Mac
This site proves how few Catholic Christians there are, too.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 2:34 PM By Pops
I assure you the number of homosexuals is going up. Not, of course, except for the fact that our children are now being brainwashed by schools and government, that not only is homosexuality genetic (no genetic proof whatsoever, of course) but, that homosexuality is a perfectly acceptable, or even a more desirable lifestyle. Yes, our children’s values were warped because we sat back and handed them over to the perverts, now we have called down the curse upon ourselves. There is NOTHING “gay” about homosexuals, nobody should refer to them by that stolen term.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 5:05 PM By JLS
charlio, your post does not seem to mean what it reads as. Perhaps you can write it more accurately, as I now recall that you are not a gay apologist as that particular post can suggest.

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 5:17 PM By Dana
Laurette Eslberry, you’re too right on all counts. That’s why I was backing Rick Santorum, because he wasn’t afraid to confront the homosexuality issues. He’s the only politician that seemed unafraid to speak out. You’re probably too young to remember that it took just one person to speak out when Joe McCarthy was holding the Communist /unAmerican Activities shearing in the Senate in the early 1950’s and cause him to fold like a deck of cards. He may have been right on many issues, but his use of fear and intimidation led to his censure by the Senate, but it was one man that on being questioned who spoke back and said it wasn’t right …maybe there’s someone here who can remember who it was and what he said. I truly believe we have to have someone bold enough not to back down. These homosexuals are using intimidation techniques just like Joe MacCarthy and everyone is knuckling under these vicious bullies. We need someone like JLS or MarkF, right?

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 5:39 PM By Thomas Edward Miles
You are correct, Jimmy Mac, they just won’t admit it! May God save these folks from the fire of helll!!

Posted Friday, June 08, 2012 7:48 PM By C&H
CDC says “Only 1 percent of the women identified themselves as gay, while 4 percent identified as bisexual.” Wow – that means we not hetrosexual ladies are 5%? If the gay/bi guys are another 5%, doesn’t that get us back to the 10% that’s so controversial?

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 12:34 AM By Kenneth M. Fisher
JLS, Please explain how Charlio’s statement implies that God is gay, I don’t read that at all in his statement. In fact he is quite clear that the actions are despicable. I think you owe Charlio and apology on this one. God bless, yours in Their Hearts, Kenneth M. Fisher

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 12:40 AM By Pax
Small numbers but perverts of great influence. Not good for the country.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 4:52 AM By Mark from PA
Gay people are not some much filthy and abnormal to God but to some of the posters here. It is little wonder that so many gay people are in the closet after reading the vicious and nasty comments here. The unChristian attitudes here are chilling.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 5:00 AM By Juergensen
Americans also have no idea that homosexuals commit disproportionately more child sex abuse than do heterosexuals. Studies show that (1) homosexuals make up only 2% of the population; (2) homosexuals are responsible for over 30% of child sex abuse. This means that (3) homosexuals commit disproportionately more child sex abuse than do heterosexuals. Hence the danger sodomites pose to our children.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 8:07 AM By MacDonald
@ Pops: I don’t get it. Are you saying that a boy who finds girls sexually attractive would “become gay” because of…what? Personally, I believe that a boy attracted to girls would never even THINK of having sex with another male. It would probably gross him out, as our young people say. It’s not like the attraction of booze and drugs, which they might be tempted toward in order to “feel high” — acting like a homosexual would make them feel ashamed, I should think, and would be repulsive to them.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 9:59 AM By Tracy
Sue in SoCal you are doing God’s work. Brad thank you for the explanation of the 6-hued rainbow. I have never doubted the sneakiness of the evil one. peter, I miss your comments.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 12:53 PM By Francis
C&H, regarding 5+5: Your math is wrong, because zero percent of men are lesbians, and zero percent of women are male. This is, of course, ignoring people of ambiguos gender, such as XXY, XYY. These are an even smaller minorities. On average, if you survey 50,000 random men and 50,000 random women, 2500 of the women and 2000 of the men would be non-heterosexual (multiply the percentage by the number). Then still more than 95 percent of the population is exclusively heterosexual. Of course, 100 percent of those people, heterosexual or otherwise, are exactly as God made them. That ought to be what really matters.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 12:58 PM By JLS
Kenneth, I already tendered my apology to charlio, at june 8 5:05. Here is the part of his post that I failed to see in the light of his context: “God made SSA afflicted persons in His own image. Lovely and pure.” So, you can likely see why I mistook it. What charlio apparently means is that all of us are created in the image and likeness of God (however he does not qualify this statement by saying that the Fall has caused this image and likeness to not take place at the moment of conception, but only the potential that can be fulfilled in Jesus Christ), and that gay activity is “nasty”. Perhaps charlio can revise his post into a more clear explanation?

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 1:00 PM By Francis
Brad and Tracy: The Wikipedia article on “Rainbow Flag” has a nice summary of current and historical rainbow flags. The flag used by LBGT’s has nothing to do with satanism — It is about valuing diversity.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 1:01 PM By JLS
C&H, don’t fall for all the gay minutia … fact is that anyone who commits one homosexual act makes himself or herself a sodomite (the residents of the infamous city of Sodom included women … so the word “sodomite” refers to homosexuals, not merely some modern legalist definition of the term). And btw, C&H, no doubt you see yourself as “sugar” but don’t kid yourself any longer.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 3:50 PM By max
in italy and other european countries the rainbow flag stands for PEACE, as i learned when i saw it at the vatican. i first thought: what the heck??? but then a friend stusdying there explained it to me.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 6:04 PM By JLS
The gay rainbow flag is a mockery of the world as the Flood disappeared, a mockery of the world after God had cleansed it, a mockery of the new world in Jesus Christ upon baptism. As we should all know, “God shall not be mocked”.

Posted Saturday, June 09, 2012 6:05 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
Francis, Do you actually trust “Wikepedia” with the salvation of your eternal soul? Gee, I don’t remember ever seeing a rainbow flag in the Vatican in all of my visits there. It is true that the Homosexual lobby has stolen God’s sign of the rainbow for their own evil purposes! God bless, yours in Their Hearts, Kenneth M. Fisher

Posted Sunday, June 10, 2012 8:07 AM By Rick DeLano
If we take care of business this fall, defeat Barack Obama, and finish strong with marriage victories in MD, MN, WA, and ME, then the marriage corruption movement will be defeated, devastatingly. SCOTUS will be encouraged to slap down the Walker/Reinhardt judicial coup against the people of California, and pseudo-marriage, limited to a defensive action in the states which have already been betrayed by judges and politicians, will not rise again for at least a generation. Of course, if Obama is not defeated, then he will pack the SCOTUS and the homosexualist agenda will be achieved. So the short version is defeat Obama. NOM will take care of the rest.

Posted Sunday, June 10, 2012 9:38 AM By Tracy
Francis, I appreciate the clarification.

Posted Sunday, June 10, 2012 9:44 AM By C&H
Francis: So assuming the 2500/2000 number is correct, does that estimate the number of “not-hetrosexual” people at 5%? I wonder if the number is stable through time or if some generation have more or less gays, lesbians & bi’s?

Posted Sunday, June 10, 2012 9:58 AM By Canisius
Hey Francis, pedophiles claims they are exactly how God made them as well…perverts one and all

Posted Sunday, June 10, 2012 5:05 PM By Larry
JLS, you didn’t apologize to Charlio, you told him to rewrite his post. I think you are the only one who misunderstood his post, meaning that there isn’t anything wrong with the way it was written. I suggest you give him a true apology.

Posted Sunday, June 10, 2012 10:58 PM By Abeca Christian
It’s just crazy! The nerve of many homosexuals, saying they are born that way. Really, why is it that when a man says he was born that way, but then you see him choosing to commit sodomy? He wasn’t born with the idea that another man’s privates are to please him. Why do they choose a false love! It is still a choice to act upon that sin. So those with SSA issues, have no control? They can’t embrace Chastity? So being confused into that sin ideology of being a homosexual or lesbian means that they have the right to flaunt their lifestyle by passing out condoms, by mocking nuns and dressing like them, by slapping each other on their behinds, by fondling their partners? If heterosexuals are called to embrace virtue, be holy and live a chaste lifestyle as well, then shouldn’t those with SSA do so as well? What? those with such disorders, have no ability to reason and honor God and His commandments? If not, then those who can reason, should and have a moral obligation to make available what is possible to help their fallen away brethren turn away from sin! We can’t scandalize our children by embracing gay agenda’s and gay lifestyles! Why are people lying to those with SSA? They too can share in the kingdom of God, in different path but they can too. Just because one suffers with SSA’s, does not mean that they have to re-define marriage and mislead others into accepting sinful lifestyles. Not unless you prefer to choose man made happiness here in this secular world and ignore the fact that there is something greater in the end. Choose Jesus and His salvation will give you eternity! Better than the temporary stuff and life that this world has to offer.

Posted Monday, June 11, 2012 7:11 AM By Francis
C&H: I don’t know the answer to your question of 9:44AM, but I think the question itself has directly to do with homophobic attitudes. If it is true that the incidence of non-heterosexuality is socially malleable, if indeed anyone can be “made” into an LGBT, then the “threat” of relaxing the taboo around SSA is the threat that I and my fellow heterosexuals are vulnerable to being “sissified” and falling into sin. We don’t like vulnerability. If, on the other hand, non-heterosexuals are a stable percentage of the population, we can stop worrying about falling into SSA and sin. Except, of course, for anti-homosexual crusaders like Phil Hinkle, George Rekers, Roberto Arango, Larry Craig and more who lived in a closet, terrified of someone else opening their secret door.

Posted Monday, June 11, 2012 7:14 AM By Francis
Kenneth: “with the salvation of [my] eternal soul?” I trust in God, not flags, and I cannot imagine that the simple rainbow symbol (it is, after all, a symbol but not a sacrament), can threaten the salvation of my eternal soul. Surely our God is greater than any mere symbol. In the case of the LBGT flag, it is a symbol of acceptance and philos for all people. That acceptance is not merely compatible with but necessary for salvation.

Posted Monday, June 11, 2012 7:15 AM By Francis
Canisius: First of all, the rainbow flag has nothing to do with pedophilia or child abuse. It is about acceptance of each person, not approval of any behavior. Jesus makes it obvious that for God, the separation between “acceptance” and “approval” is as the separation between heaven and earth. See, for example Matthew 21:31.

Posted Monday, June 11, 2012 7:30 AM By C&H
JLS – What’s all this talk about sugar. It almost sounds like you’re sweet on me.

Posted Monday, June 11, 2012 12:31 PM By Abeca Christian
Honey is much healthier. haha