White LGBT Adults In The US : LGBT Well-Being at the Intersection of Race

B.D.M. Wilson, L. Bouton, C. Mallory

Executive Summary : More than 11.3 million LGBT adults live in the U.S. They are a part of every community throughout the country, and they are diverse in terms of personal characteristics, socioeconomic outcomes, health status, and lived experiences. While LGBT people are similar to their non-LGBT counterparts in many ways, they also show differences that illuminate their unique needs and experiences related to sexual orientation and gender identity. About 60% of LGBT adults identify as White. In this report, we analyze data from several sources to provide information about adults who self-identify as White and LGBT. We present an overview of their demographic characteristics and focus on several key domains of well-being, including mental health, physical health, economic health, and social and cultural experiences. In addition, we compare White LGBT and non-LGBT adults across these indicators in order to explore differences related to sexual orientation and gender identity among White Americans. For several key indicators, we also compare White LGBT and non-LGBT women with White LGBT and non-LGBT men in order to explore differences related to gender. This report is part of a larger series, LGBT Well-Being at the Intersection of Race, which provides the same information for each racial/ethnic minority group in the United States. A final comparative report examines differences across racial groups among LGBT people.