Gallup has conducted an expansive survey in an attempt to
determine how many people openly identify as a member of the
LGBT community across the United States. While the difference
between specific states was not particularly significant,
research Gary Gates points out that the findings do show that
states with more protections for LGBT people tend to have more
out LGBT people: In general, states where residents express more
liberal views are more accepting of LGBT individuals, while
socially conservative areas are less accepting. Of the 10 states
and D.C. where at least 4% of respondents identified as LGBT,
seven are among the most liberal states in the country.
Conversely, six of 10 states with the lowest percentage of LGBT-
identified adults are among the top 10 conservative states in
the country. The states with proportionally larger LGBT
populations generally have supportive LGBT legal climates. With
the exception of South Dakota, all of the states that have LGBT
populations of at least 4% have laws that