NationStates Jolt Archive

Just curious. Some people say gayness is a myth, that they are just confused heteros. Other people say 25% of the country is actually gay, but most suppress it. Others say we are all bisexual to an extent.

Part of the argument against gay marriage is that there really aren't that many gay people and that they are deluded. If you vote, please explain or provide sources, and how it influences your position regarding gay rights.

I am neutral on the issue of gay rights. I respect gays so long as they respect me. What they do in the bedroom is their business, not mine.

I don't have anything to back this up, but I believe somewhere between 0.5-2% of the population is gay. Whatever the number, it's undoubtedly far less than pervert Alfred Kinsey's estimate of 10%.

2%, they are just the loudest 2% of the population.

Sometimes I think the Internet was invented just so straight people could talk about homosexuality.

I'd say somewhere around 15% of the population at least. Estimations are generally going to be low because unfortunately, homosexuals still tend to be oppressed, mocked, insulted, and cast out of society in many ways. Because of this, many hide the fact that they are homosexuals. until western society is finally more accepting of homosexuals numbers will tend to be much lower than the accurate number.

I don't know about you guys, but I've only met one gay person in my entire life.

I don't know about you guys, but I've only met one gay person in my entire life.

I've met two: one in high school, one in college. Both teachers, who thought they were obligated to make an issue of it or something. Go figure. :rolleyes:

I don't know about you guys, but I've only met one gay person in my entire life.Depending on what you mean by "met", don't be so sure.

Definitely 6% to 20%.

I'd say around 15% of Americans are openly homosexual. I have seen ample sites on this subject, ranging from scientific to Christian, liberal to conservative, pro-gay to anti-gay (on the whole, about half to a dozen sites).

The basic consensus among them is that there are twice as many gays as lesbians, i.e. 10% gays, 5% lesbians.

That said, most of these figures were about America alone, and were (obviously) only counting the openly homosexual people.

Everyone is bisexual to a certain extent, at least according to the Kinsey scale. According to that the average straight person is 22% gay, though I scored only a 12% (on a sparks test)... I should note that though I am not in the slightest bit gay (in the sense that I don't have the capacity to fall in love with another man), I am far more willing to engage in homosexual activity than any of my straight friends.

I don't know how anyone could be stupid/delusional enough to vote for the first or fourth option.

Maybe in Canada people feel more free to come out of the closet, but I live in a small city and know very few of the people in it and I know at least 10 people who are gay and at least 4 lesbians. I remember being told in high school sex ed that at least 10% of the population is gay. I wouldn't be surprised if it was higher though. It's still, sadly, difficult to come out of the closet because of homophobia. Here's hoping that it will be easier in another decade.

6-20% due to oppression the official number is unknown. But thats ok. You would not able to tell me the exact percentage of the heterosexual world population either ;)

Studies in the Seventies showed that 10% of the general population were gay.

Recent research has lowered that some.

As usual, the results depend upon the sampling methods.

I don't know about you guys, but I've only met one gay person in my entire life.
how old are you?
im 47 and i know many

I don't know about you guys, but I've only met one gay person in my entire life.

I'm only 14 and I've already met 3, plus countless bi's. Granted, I go to a weird school, but...

I'd say 5-10% of the population is gay, and an additional 15-20% is bisexual to a degree that is distinguishable from just curiosity within a straight person. On that "curious" note I think most of us are bisexual to some very small degree but that the term "straight" doesn't mean absolutely exclusively - it means the vast majority of legitimate attractions. So, 20-30% of the population, in my opinion, is gay or bi. I base the gay number mostly on published studies. There aren't as many studies on bisexuality and they aren't as accurate, so I added some of my own experience here, combined with my belief in the beauty of both sexes and the fickle nature of human sexuality.

I believe we did this bit before a few months back, I think it was determined to be between 3 and 5%.

I am 23. Off the top of my head...

25.

I live in Chester, CT, near Essex? It is pretty progressive.

I am straight--but I still probably know over 100 gay people.

Of course... I know a lot of people, in general.

My uneducated guess is 6-20%...

Rethinks position and plays devil's advocate:

Alright. Say that homosexual rights activists and scientists are liars, and that 15% and even 10% are too high for the number of gay people in the world. Suppose that even 5% was too high and that 2% was also a "liberal" and "gay" lie.

Let's say that 0.5% of the world is gay.

That's 1 in 200 people. That's still at least 32,500,000 (32.5 million) people if you assume that the world has exactly 6.5 billion people.

That's 10,833 (eleven thousand) times as many people than the number that died on 9-11, assuming that 3,000 people died.

That's 162.5 times as many people than the number that were killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (unless that is also a "liberal" or "gay" lie), assuming that 200,000 died in total.

That's 5.4 times as many Jews were killed in the Holocaust (but we all know that is a "liberal" and "gay" lie), and 2.7 as many people that died in the Holocaust, assuming that 6 million and 12 million were killed (respectively).

That's assuming that one half of one percent of the world is homosexual.
0.05 %

Don't tell me that's not a lot.
In the U.S. alone that's 1,250,000 (1.25 million) people, assuming that our population is 250,000,000.

If you like statistics, here are some related ones for you:

VIOLENCE

In a 1988 survey of 500 adolescents who applied for services at The Hetrick-Martin Institute (A Lesbian & Gay Youth Social Service Agency in New York City), 46% had suffered violence from family, friends and/or strangers. Of those who experienced violence, 44% reported suicidal ideation (seriously contemplating suicide) and 41% of the females and 34% of the males had actually made suicide attempts. (Source: Joyce Hunter, 1989)

That's strange, I look at my post and I see that the colloquial phrase "died on 9-11" has crept into my vocabulary.

I say it's strange because they didn't "die". They "were killed".
Granted, I'm liberal, but I still get plenty of conservative opinions and phrases from listening to and reading them.

Sure, it wasn't a systematic killing like the Holocaust, but it still was an act of terrorism like the Holocaust and (arguably) the dropping of the atomic bombs... so doesn't that warrent the phrase "were killed on 9-11".

I honestly can't say I've heard the latter phrase used more than ten times. Oh well, wrong thread.

If you like statistics, here are some related ones for you:

VIOLENCE

In a 1988 survey of 500 adolescents who applied for services at The Hetrick-Martin Institute (A Lesbian & Gay Youth Social Service Agency in New York City), 46% had suffered violence from family, friends and/or strangers. Of those who experienced violence, 44% reported suicidal ideation (seriously contemplating suicide) and 41% of the females and 34% of the males had actually made suicide attempts. (Source: Joyce Hunter, 1989)

Nah man. That's a "liberal" and "gay" lie. There's no such thing as gay people. I don't believe in Jews or asian people either. And atheists? That's just something the devil invented to get us to fall into his dirty clutches.

I know tons of gay and bi people. Few of them make an issue of it. It's usually other people who make an issue of it.

I would honestly guess around 15%, given the sheer number that fear coming out.

I believe that the vast majority of people are predisposed to bisexuality to varying degrees, so I voted for the last answer. I believe that the only thing which prevents this from manifesting in most people is socialization to a heterosexual norm. Disregard Kinsey's work all you like, I think his result showed some truth, regardless of his leanings or sampling methods.

Actually I think the last answer ont he poll has some truth to it and hence, I voted for it.

Actually I think the last answer ont he poll has some truth to it and hence, I voted for it.

It does (is probably correct), which is what adds to my consternation with this (innacurate) poll.

If we were to limit the question simply to the percentage of homosexuals, the answer would (in my opinion) be the 6% to 20%.

This isn't an opinion poll. This is a fact poll. There are a group of people who are wrong (either due to them being deluded by their pro- or anti- homosexual stance, or by them being given false information) and a group of people who are right (either by knowing/acknowledging correct scientific data, or by making a lucky guesstimate).

This poll shows not only our biases, but the extent to which we research topics that we speak/voice opinions in. I am confident that, if the scientific studies I have read are accurate, my assumptions (of both the third and fifth choice) are correct.

I had read somewhere that about 1 in 10 people are gay, but a gay friend told me he heard it was 1 in 7. I don't know if either statistic is in any way accurate, but that's my two penny's worth :)

I'd say varying degrees of bisexuality. This has been my personal theory for a long time and all the evidence has pretty much backed it up. On top of that, the default state for most higher order mammals seems to be bisexual, so it would make perfect sense that we were as well.

I don't know about you guys, but I've only met one gay person in my entire life.

Sitting comfortably at age 32, I have met thousands in my lifetime ... including my very own brother.

You need to get out more, RB.

I had read somewhere that about 1 in 10 people are gay, but a gay friend told me he heard it was 1 in 7. I don't know if either statistic is in any way accurate, but that's my two penny's worth :)

1 in 10 are gay. 1 in 7 are homosexual.

For all intents and purposes, I round that up to 1 in 6, because there are still plenty of closet homosexuals.

I'd say varying degrees of bisexuality. This has been my personal theory for a long time and all the evidence has pretty much backed it up. On top of that, the default state for most higher order mammals seems to be bisexual, so it would make perfect sense that we were as well.

The problem with this is the question of the definition of "bisexual".

I don't believe I was fortunate enough to be given the propensity or opportunity to "fall in love" with another man, but I am perfectly willing {eager} to have sex with a guy... even though my wife (girlfriend) will never let me do so.

Techinically, the terms homo-, bi-, and hetero- sexual should refer to the propensity to fall in love.

It is impossible to be hetero- or homo- sexual if we base it solely on the ability to engage in sexual intercourse... as that would make EVERYONE bisexual (maybe not willing, but perfectly capable, and given a non-religious upbringing, 100% certain to have at least one willing homo/hetero-sexual experience).

Ergo, I assume we are to assume, and should assume, that we deem sexuality as the ability to "fall in love", not the ability or willingness to engage in intercourse.
The willingness to engage in sexual intercourse with the same/opposite sex is entirely due to upbringing, but the actual ability to fall in love is clearly genetic/inherent.

The problem with this is the question of the definition of "bisexual".

I don't believe I was fortunate enough to be given the propensity or opportunity to "fall in love" with another man, but I am perfectly willing {eager} to have sex with a guy... even though my wife (girlfriend) will never let me do so.

However, I believe you were given the propensity. Even if it is one particular guy out of 1,000,000,000 - it is possible. If you are attracted to someone, personally and physically, there is a possiblity of falling in love.

Techinically, the terms homo-, bi-, and hetero- sexual should refer to the propensity to fall in love.

I believe they refer to the possibility of attraction to a person. Thus my assertion that anyone could be bisexual, even if they are only attracted to one of the genders 0.00001% of the time.

It is impossible to be hetero- or homo- sexual if we base it solely on the ability to engage in sexual intercourse... as that would make EVERYONE bisexual (maybe not willing, but perfectly capable, and given a non-religious upbringing, 100% certain to have at least one willing homo/hetero-sexual experience).

I don't agree with you here. I don't think you have to put religion into it at all to make someone not attracted to someone else. And there are very few people who share sexual experiences with those who they are not attracted to.

11%

I'm not really bisexual... but my standards are reeeeeaaalllyyy low. A few drinks, and a pretty guy'd probably seduce me.

I'd take a wild stab and say 10%

Why doesn't someone for who this issue matters just go on an experimental Poll: In person, ask to get laid by every single stranger you meet. And please post the results.