Gay rights groups dispute federal survey’s estimate of population

The Washington Post
August 1, 2104
Gay rights groups dispute federal survey’s estimate of population
By Sandhya Somashekhar

Gay rights activists are distressed over the results of the first large-scale federal survey measuring sexual orientation in the United States, which last month reported that less than 3 percent of the population identifies as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

They contend it is a gross undercount and are particularly upset because they worked for years to get sexual orientation added to the 57-year-old National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the government’s premier measure of Americans’ health status and behaviors. Now, the activists worry that the results will reduce the urgency of their causes and give fodder to their political foes.

“The truth is, numbers matter, and political influence matters,” said Scout, director of the nonprofit CenterLink Network of LGBT Equity, who goes by only one name. “If we really are 2 percent versus 4 percent, it means people are going to say, ‘okay, I’m only going to care half as much,’” he said.

Scout and others believe that the survey, which is administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is flawed. They point to other surveys, including some scholarly papers and less prominent government studies, that peg the number at closer to 4 percent. The CDC is investigating why its figures, particularly for bisexuals, differ from those in the other surveys....

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