Massachusetts has 2nd highest share of population that identifies as LGBTQ

Late last month a new report entitled, Equality and Equity Advancing the LGBT Community in Massachusetts, was released by The Boston Foundation. The report shines a bright light on the size of and the challenges faced by the LGBT community in Massachusetts.

A jaw-dropping 16% of 18- to 24-year olds in Massachusetts identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or something else, according to researchers from Boston Indicators, part of the Boston Foundation and the Fenway Institute, part of  Fenway Health. The LGBT community composes roughly 5% of the state’s population overall, making the commonwealth the “second gayest” state in the country behind Vermont, according to the report.

Source: Gallup Daily Tracking Survey. The Williams Institute. UCLA.

Despite being a leader in gay rights for more than four decades, LGBTQ youth still face some daunting hurdles. The report points out that nearly half of lesbian, gay or bisexual youth in our state have considered suicide as compared to 11% of their non-LGB peers. The report delves into much more detail about the strides we’ve made and the challenges that remain. Read the full report here, Equality and Equity Advancing the LGBT Community in Massachusetts.