A Few Statistics on LGBT Issues

As the saying goes, statistics can be defined as "a body of methods for making wise decisions in the face of uncertainty." In regards to LGBT rights, statistics show not only how far we have to go yet in the struggle for equality, but also how far we've come. Below are a series of statistics on a range of LGBT issues from gay marriage to anti-discrimination.

MILITARY SERVICE

24 Countries:

Twenty-four countries [not including the U.S.] currently allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, according to the Service Members Legal Defense Network. Of these twenty-four countries, twenty-two are part of coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan – meaning that openly gay and lesbian soldiers from Allied Forces are serving alongside U.S. troops, despite the continued U.S. ban. In July, more than 50 retired U.S. Generals and Admirals released a statement calling on the U.S. Congress to repeal the ban on openly gay and lesbian soldiers serving in the military, the largest number of military officials calling for a ban to date. To date, the U.S. has discharged over 11,000 service members for being gay or lesbian.

GAY MARRIAGE

Seven Countries:

Marriage between same-sex couples was first made legal in the Netherlands in 2001. Since then, six additional countries have passed legislation to recognize marriage rights for GLBT citizens. Spain is the only country in the world that recognizes same-sex marriage and heterosexual marriage under the same law.

Five States:

Marriage equality statistics in the U.S. are changing fast and furious these days. As of now, five U.S. states -- Massachusetts (2004), Connecticut (2008), Iowa (2009), Vermont (2009), New Hampshire (2009 vote, 2010 enactment), as well as the District of Columbia (2009 vote, 2010 enactment) -- recognize marriage equality. Two states, Maine and California, had recognized marriage equality at one point, but passed ballot initiatives rescinding marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. Meanwhile, one state recognizes civil unions between same-sex couples -- New Jersey -- and several states have domestic partnership laws that grant certain benefits to same-sex couples. These states include Oregon, Maine, and Washington.

30 States:

On the flip side, thirty states have passed constitutional amendments or laws explicitly banning same-sex marriage. According to the National Association of Social Workers, prohibiting marriage protection to same-sex individuals denies them 1,000 federal protections and responsibilities granted to heterosexual individuals. Opponents of same-sex marriage have also been championing Proposition 8 in California, a statewide ballot measure that would rescind marriage rights for GLBT citizens in that state.

EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

13 States:

There are currently thirteen states, as well as the District of Columbia, that have enacted policies to protect against gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination in employment. Seven states, meanwhile, have laws that prohibit employment discrimination solely based on sexual orientation. In thirty states, LGBT citizens can be fired on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity without any legal recourse.

39 Percent:

As late as 2005, 39 percent of all LGBT workers reported experiencing some sort of workplace discrimination or harassment. Recent polling, however, suggests that more Americans view equal rights in the workplace as a moral issue.

90 Percent:

Nearly 90 percent of people in the U.S. believe that gay and lesbian workers should have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts.

HIV/AIDS

3,000:

The first HIV/AIDS cases in the United States were detected in 1981, in California and New York. Just two years later, in 1983, more than 3,000 AIDS cases had been identified in the States, and more than 1,000 people had died from the disease.

38,000:

By 1986, more than 38,000 worldwide had been diagnosed with the disease, though the Reagan Administration had only officially recognized the disease in September 1985.

8,000,000:

By the end of the decade, more than eight million people worldwide would have HIV/AIDS. Reagan himself, in 1990, would eventually apologize for his administration’s failure to respond to the disease.

71 Percent:

As of June 2007, according to the Center for Disease Control, 71 percent of those in the U.S. infected with HIV/AIDS were “Men who have sex with men” (MSM).

46 Percent:

Moreover, CDC studies indicated that as of 2005, the incidence rate of HIV/AIDS in black MSM (46 percent) was more than twice of that among white MSM (21 percent). Today, in the U.S., more than 230,000 gay men have HIV/AIDS.

33.2 Million:

The World Health Organization and UNAIDS estimate that, worldwide, 33.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.