How Many LGBT Adults Are There in U.S.?

A Gallup survey, touted as the largest of its kind, estimates that 3.4 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

The findings, released Thursday, were based more than 121,000 interviews conducted from June through September. Gallup said it is the largest study ever aimed at calculating the nation's LGBT population.

The report's lead author, demographer Gary Gates of the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute, said he hoped the findings would help puncture some stereotypes about gays and lesbians while illustrating the diversity of their community. He cited findings dealing with race, income levels and geographical distribution that undercut the perception of the gay community being disproportionately white, male, urban and affluent.

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