The number of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ has reached a record high, according to a new analysis from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), while public support for some LGBTQ+ issues has fallen, according to polls. The analysis found that there are more than 25 million U.S. adults, or 12 percent of the adult population, who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. The figure marks one of the highest estimates ever reported and suggests the LGBTQ+ community has grown substantially in visibility and size across the country.
A 2025 Gallup poll reported that about 9 percent of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+. The findings come amid signs of shifting public attitudes toward LGBTQ+ issues. Gallup polling shows that support for same-sex marriage and the moral acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships has eased from record highs reached in the early 2020s, and views on transgender-related issues have become increasingly polarized.
It also comes less than 100 days before the midterm elections, as LGBTQ+ Americans emerge as a sizable and increasingly influential constituency that could prove pivotal in closely contested races that will help decide control of Congress. The HRC reports that about 12 percent of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+. "There are 25 million of us across the country, and we now have critical mass in almost every state in the nation.
We’re not a niche constituency, and no campaign, brand, or employer can afford to treat us like one.” LGBTQ+ adults represent more than 10 percent of adults in 40 out of 50 states, the HRC found. The data showed that the highest shares of adults identifying as LGBTQ+ were concentrated in the District of Columbia and Washington, Oregon, Colorado, California and Alaska. Those states all reported LGBTQ+ populations of about 14 percent or higher, while the District of Columbia reported 22.6 percent.
California had the nation's largest estimated LGBTQ+ population at more than 3.1 million adults, followed by Texas with roughly 2.2 million, according to the analysis. Florida and New York each had LGBTQ+ populations exceeding 1.6 million. Among the adults who identified, about 65 percent said they were bisexual, 30 percent lesbian or gay, and about 5 percent straight-identifying transgender or gender-expansive adults.
The majority of the LGBTQ+ population, about 54 percent, is younger than 35, according to HRC’s findings. The findings show that the LGBTQ+ community is diverse. Hispanic adults make up a larger share of the LGBTQ+ population (18 percent) than of the non-LGBTQ+ population (13 percent), while Black adults make up around 9 percent of LBGTQ+ adults.
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