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How many LGBT people have children in every state

·Eliza Siegel

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Annette Shaff // Shutterstock
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LGBTQ+ people have historically been left out of conversations about family planning, custody rights, and cultural and legal ideas about what a family should look like. Before the 1970s, it was not unusual for a gay or lesbian parent to lose custody of their child—or for their parental rights to be taken away completely—after coming out. Today, LGBTQ+ families continue to contend with discrimination when trying to start a family—whether through fostering, adoption, or assisted reproduction.

Currently, laws which protect LGBTQ+ people in matters of fostering and adoption vary state to state. Twenty-nine states and Washington D.C. prohibit foster and adoption agencies from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, while 12 states permit these agencies to refuse to provide services to LGBTQ+ people on the basis of religious beliefs.

As recently as June 2021, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to queer parents trying to start families in their ruling on Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The court sided with a Catholic social services agency, which refused to work with same-sex couples applying to foster children, arguing that the agency's First Amendment rights took precedence over charges of discrimination.

Assisted reproduction services like in vitro fertilization (IVF) have also historically been less accessible to LGBTQ+ people, in part because of a limiting definition of infertility. The CDC defines infertility as "not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex." Since many health insurance plans use this definition to determine qualification for treatment, couples who are not cisgender and heterosexual are often excluded from coverage. However, this may soon change, as the Biden administration is considering expanding the definition of infertility listed in the Affordable Care Act to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.

Other changes to legislation in some states have improved access to family services for LGBTQ+ people. In late May 2022, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis—who is openly gay—signed a law streamlining the process of giving queer parents legal custody of their non-gestational children. And the Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that LGBTQ+ parents have the same right to be co-listed on their child's birth certificate as heterosexual couples.

But where in the U.S. are LGBTQ+ folks raising their families? To find out, Stacker cited LGBT demographic data from the Williams Institute based on Gallup surveys conducted between 2015-2017, and looked at LGBT family demographics in every state and Washington D.C. Respondents who said they identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender were considered LGBT and were not asked whether they identify under the wider umbrella term LGBTQ+. The average age of LGBT respondents nationally was 36.4 years.

Read on to find out how many LGBT-identifying people have kids in each state.

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Pregnant woman sitting on couch with woman holding baby clothes

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1 / 51

Alabama

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.1%
- LGBT population with children: 24.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 20.4%

Two women smiling and hugging while watching kids playing on table

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2 / 51

Alaska

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.7%
- LGBT population with children: 34.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 23.1%

Close up of two men holding hands

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3 / 51

Arizona

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.5%
- LGBT population with children: 25.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 16.5%

Two women doing heart shape symbol with their hands

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4 / 51

Arkansas

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.3%
- LGBT population with children: 36.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 21.2%

Two men laughing and swinging little girl between them

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5 / 51

California

- Population identifying as LGBT: 5.3%
- LGBT population with children: 24.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 16.0%

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Rainbow flags hanging across street

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6 / 51

Colorado

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.6%
- LGBT population with children: 25.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 15.9%

Two smiling men laying in bed, one holding a baby

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7 / 51

Connecticut

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.9%
- LGBT population with children: 20.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 17.0%

Two women and two kids sitting around kitchen table

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8 / 51

Delaware

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.5%
- LGBT population with children: 35.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 15.6%

Child wearing pride shirt at parade

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9 / 51

District of Columbia

- Population identifying as LGBT: 9.8%
- LGBT population with children: 9.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 8.7%

Close up of kid's hands holding children's drawing of a family

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11 / 51

Georgia

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.5%
- LGBT population with children: 27.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 19.6%

Woman holding baby, standing next to woman sitting at table

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12 / 51

Hawaii

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.6%
- LGBT population with children: 30.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 15.8%

Female couple admiring pregnant belly

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13 / 51

Idaho

- Population identifying as LGBT: 2.8%
- LGBT population with children: 44.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 22.3%

Two women and two kids sitting on a plaid blanket in a park.

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14 / 51

Illinois

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.3%
- LGBT population with children: 28.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 16.6%

Couple sitting on couch, one holding a ultrasound picture

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16 / 51

Iowa

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.6%
- LGBT population with children: 27.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 18.6%

Two men sitting on chairs, playing with a little girl

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17 / 51

Kansas

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.3%
- LGBT population with children: 33.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 21.8%

Two men laughing and swinging little girl between them

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18 / 51

Kentucky

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.4%
- LGBT population with children: 26.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 18.5%

Close up of man wearing rainbow-colored wrist sweatband holding little boy's hand

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19 / 51

Louisiana

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.9%
- LGBT population with children: 28.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 19.9%

Two little girls watching colorful balloons in parade

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21 / 51

Maryland

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.2%
- LGBT population with children: 20.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 20.3%

Man playing on tablet with little girl, another man holding baby cooking on stove

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22 / 51

Massachusetts

- Population identifying as LGBT: 5.4%
- LGBT population with children: 21.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 17.1%

Close up of little girl holding hands of two men

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23 / 51

Michigan

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.0%
- LGBT population with children: 27.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 18.2%

Two Asian men clapping and watching little Asian girl cracking eggs

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24 / 51

Minnesota

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.1%
- LGBT population with children: 28.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 16.5%

Two children walking hand in hand with their dads

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25 / 51

Mississippi

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.5%
- LGBT population with children: 34.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 25.7%

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Two women in pajamas hugging and holding baby in kitchen

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26 / 51

Missouri

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.8%
- LGBT population with children: 26.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 17.3%

Two women holding ultrasound photo wile looking at phone

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27 / 51

Montana

- Population identifying as LGBT: 2.9%
- LGBT population with children: 19.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 22.0%

Close up of child's hand holding paper cut out of family in rainbow colors

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28 / 51

Nebraska

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.8%
- LGBT population with children: 32.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 19.6%

Male couple with children having fun with kite toy

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29 / 51

Nevada

- Population identifying as LGBT: 5.5%
- LGBT population with children: 22.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 17.0%

Male couple with children walking by lake

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31 / 51

New Jersey

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.1%
- LGBT population with children: 25.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 19.7%

Man laying on couch while other man playing on floor with two kids

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32 / 51

New Mexico

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.5%
- LGBT population with children: 29.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 17.8%

Two women on bed playing with baby

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33 / 51

New York

- Population identifying as LGBT: 5.1%
- LGBT population with children: 22.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 16.4%

Close up of little girl wearing glassed, holding hands with two men

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34 / 51

North Carolina

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.0%
- LGBT population with children: 26.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 18.5%

Two men and young girl sitting at table with open books in front of them

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36 / 51

Ohio

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.3%
- LGBT population with children: 30.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 17.7%

Child drawing with his two fathers

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37 / 51

Oklahoma

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.8%
- LGBT population with children: 38.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 20.9%

Close up of woman's pregnant stomach with cutout of rainbow heart

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38 / 51

Oregon

- Population identifying as LGBT: 5.6%
- LGBT population with children: 23.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 16.3%

Two men playing with little boy on floor

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39 / 51

Pennsylvania

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.1%
- LGBT population with children: 27.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 15.9%

Mother looking at newborn

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41 / 51

South Carolina

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.5%
- LGBT population with children: 30.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 18.9%

A little boy draws a heart colored in LGBT colors

Maks_Nova // Shutterstock

42 / 51

South Dakota

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.0%
- LGBT population with children: 29.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 21.1%

Happy young gay couple playing with kids

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43 / 51

Tennessee

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.5%
- LGBT population with children: 29.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 18.1%

Mixed race woman with expecting mother talking and playing with baby

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44 / 51

Texas

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.1%
- LGBT population with children: 29.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 19.8%

Two moms reading book with daughter

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46 / 51

Vermont

- Population identifying as LGBT: 5.2%
- LGBT population with children: 23.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 18.6%

Two men with baby girl holding pride flag

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47 / 51

Virginia

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.9%
- LGBT population with children: 26.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 16.0%

Happy family with child on bed

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48 / 51

Washington

- Population identifying as LGBT: 5.2%
- LGBT population with children: 28.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 15.8%

Two parents spending time with their kids at home

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49 / 51

West Virginia

- Population identifying as LGBT: 4.0%
- LGBT population with children: 31.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 17.8%

Female parents-to-be sitting together at home

JLco Julia Amaral // Shutterstock

51 / 51

Wyoming

- Population identifying as LGBT: 3.3%
- LGBT population with children: 28.0%
- LGBT couples with children: 24.7%

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