NPR Releases LGBTQ Discrimination Poll Results

Mike Kurov
22 December 2017

NPR released the fifth portion of the series You, Me and Them: Experiencing Discrimination in America Nov. 21.

Based on a survey conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this multiplatform series will delve into personal experiences of discrimination in America from representative samples of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, whites, men, women and LGBTQ adults.

The fifth portion explores the experiences of LGBTQ Americans:

Key Findings:

Of the LGBTQ Americans polled,

  • 57% have experienced slurs about their sexual orientation or gender identity.

  • 53% have experienced insensitive or offensive comments about their sexual orientation or gender identity.

  • 57% say that they or an LGBTQ friend or family member have been threatened or non-sexually harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

  • 51% say they have been sexually harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

  • 51% say they have experienced violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

  • 34% say that they or an LGBTQ friend or family member have been verbally harassed in the bathroom or been told or asked if they were using the wrong bathroom.

  • 26% say that they or a friend or family member who is also LGBTQ have been unfairly stopped or treated by the police because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

  • 26% say that they or a friend or family member who is also LGBTQ have been unfairly stopped or treated by the police because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

  • 18% say they have avoided medical care, even when in need, due to concern that they would be discriminated against because of their LGBTQ identity.

Additionally, of the LGBTQ Americans of color polled,

  • 32% say they have personally experienced discrimination because of their LGBTQ identity when applying for jobs, compared to 13% of white LGBTQ individuals.

  • 24% say they have personally experienced discrimination because they are LGBTQ when interacting with the police, compared to 11% of white LGBTQ people.

  • 15% say they have avoided calling the police even when in need, due to concern that they would be discriminated against because of their LGBTQ identity.

For the full report on LGBTQ Americans, visit npr.org/documents/2017/nov/npr-discrimination-lgbtq-final.pdf.

For more analysis from NPR, visit

npr.org/series/559149737/you-me-and-them-experiencing-discrimination-in-america.