The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Population At-A-Glance
 

Size of Market and Buying Power

• 6.8% of Americans over the age of 18 – roughly 15 million people – self identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual.
• There are over 3 million same-sex couple households.
• Nearly one in four (24%) gay men and lesbians live in households with children under the age of 18.
• The buying power of this segment is expected to be $690 billion in 2007.

Advertising and Brand Loyalty (November 2003, December 2004)

• 4 out of 10 gay consumers – quality and value being equal – prefer to purchase products from companies that advertise in gay and lesbian media.
• 46% prefer products from companies that support nonprofits serving the gay and lesbian community over competing products that do not.
• When ordering alcoholic beverages, 27% of gay consumers always ask for brand names, (i.e. “Absolut and soda” versus “vodka and soda”), vs, 18% of heterosexual consumers.
• 42% of GLBT individuals say advertisements read online influence purchasing decisions for one product or service over another, versus only 35% of non-gays.

Purchasing Behavior (March, June, September, December 2004; February 2006)

• 69% of GLBT adults indicated their shopping decisions – other things being equal such as price, value, or quality – would likely or very likely be influenced by a “buyer’s guide” of companies whose workplace policies objectively support equal and fair treatment of GLBT people.
• 55% of GLBT consumers choose to do business with companies that they know have a commitment to diversity and equal treatment of employees, versus 34% of non-gays.
• 33% of GLBT consumers use the Internet when they want to learn more about a product or service versus 26% of non-gays.
• GLBT consumers are less likely (30%) to switch mobile service providers due to price than their non-gay counterparts (41%).
• 24% of GLBT adults often or always like to keep up with the latest styles and trends, versus 17% of non-gays.

Health and Fitness (January 2005)

• Health insurance coverage (34%) and HIV/AIDS (17%) are the two health issues that GLBT adults think deserve the most attention from health care professionals and policy makers.
• Three times as many (18%) GLBT adults are worried about depression/anxiety as a personal health risk in comparison to only 6% of heterosexuals.
• Three quarters of lesbians (74%) who have experienced discrimination at a doctor’s office believe they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.

Travel (March 2005, January 2006)

• 82% of GLBT consumers make hotel reservations online, versus 65% of non-gays.
• 34% of GLBT consumers say that using a travel-related website contributes to their decisions about leisure travel destinations, versus 25% of non-gays.
• 14% of gay and lesbian adults say that for their next vacation, they are planning to travel to an overseas destination, versus 7% of non-gays.

Financial Services (May 2005, July 2006)

• 82% of GLBT adults would reinvest their money into checking, savings, or money market accounts if they were to earn $100,000 due to investing, versus 68% of non-gays.
• When deciding where to conduct their business, 60% of gay men and lesbians say that it is important that a financial services institution provide services through the Internet, versus 50% of non-gays.
• 48% of GLBT adults would prefer to bundle their financial services and products from one financial institution or broker/representative, if there were little difference on price, quality and function of the products and services, versus 39% of non-gays.

Technology (September 2004)

• 79% of GLBT adults own a wireless or cellular telephone versus 72% of non-gays.
• 16% of GLBT households currently own a television with high-definition resolution (HDTV), versus 9% of non-gays.

Media Consumption (March 2005)

• 68% of GLBT viewers subscribe to premium cable channels such as HBO, Showtime or Cinemax compared to only 54% of non-gays.
• 67% of GLBT individuals say they read independent and alternative newspapers compared to 50% of non-gays.

Public Policy (September 2004, May 2006)

• 69% of heterosexual adults agree that, regardless of one’s sexual orientation, all employees are entitled to equal benefits on the job.
• A majority of heterosexual adults (61%) agree that a company should have the freedom to decide for itself the benefits it offers its employees and their spouses or partners.
• 55% of heterosexual adults believe adoption assistance such as counseling and financial benefits should be available to all employees regardless of sexual orientation.
• 35% of GLBT adults have faced some form of discrimination on the job, including being fired, harassed, pressured to quit or denied a promotion because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

Source: Harris Interactive / Witeck-Combs Communications