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from Social Issues
Canadian Government Surveys Says
Only 1% Claim To Be Gay
June 18, 2004 - A Statistics Canada "Canadian Community Health Survey"
released by the government in mid-June, 2004, reveals that only 1.3% of males
and 0.7% of females claim to be gay. Individuals identifying themselves as
bisexual accounted for .09% males; and 0.6% females.
Quebec reported the highest number of individuals identifying themselves as gay
with 2.3%; British Columbia had 1.9%; New Brunswick with 1.6% and Ontario, 1.5%.
The Statistics Canada researchers noted that there was a low response rate.
By age group, 2% of Canadians ages 18-24 said they were homosexual or bisexual,
followed by 1.9% of those 35-44; and 1.2% ages 45-59.
Gay activists objected to the figures as misleading. Laurie Aaron with the
Canadian gay group Egale, says: "What's clear is that there is underreporting."
Until recent research began to reveal significantly lower figures, gay groups
more typically claimed their numbers to be from 5 to 10%.
Surveys in the United States, however, also show low numbers of individuals who
identify as gay. Here a few:
- A 1989 study, "Adult Sexual Behavior in 1989: Numbers of Partners, Frequency
and Risk," found that "Overall ... less than 1% [of the study population] has been
exclusively homosexual."
- In 1991, Overlooked Opinions found that even in California and New York, the
gay population is less than 8%.
- In 1992, a University of Chicago study found that individuals engaging in
homosexual sex in 1991 accounted for 3% of the population.
- In 1992, Science magazine reported on a French study showing that only 4.1% of
men and 2.6% of women had engaged in gay sex once in their lives.
In addition, 31 gay activist organizations filed a friend of the court brief in
the Lawrence v. Texas sodomy case, and noted in footnote 42 the following: "The
most widely accepted study of sexual practices in the United States is the
National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS). The NHSLS found that 2.8% of the
male, and 1.4% of the female, population identify themselves as gay, lesbian, or
bisexual." This survey was done in 1994.
Updated: 8 February 2008
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