Note how the Economist has fallen for the new numbers we were complaining about just a few months ago, claiming that LGB and T combined are only 3.5% of the population. We predicted this was going to happen, that the survey would wrongly be interpreted by a lazy media to be saying we're only 3.5% of the population, and lo and behold, here we go. As I said at the time:
The more I think about it, the more this ticks me off. There is no way you're going to get anywhere near 100% of gay people admitting they're gay, period. I wonder if you get more than 50%.
Married gays, forget it. Dating a girl, forget it. Closeted, forget it. People afraid for their jobs, forget it. Work for the military, forget it. Older gays, less likely. Living in a scary state, or small town, more likely not to admit it. And on and on.
Until one of these studies starts estimating how many gay people are NOT admitting that they're gay to the questioner, these studies per se underestimate our community, significantly I fear, and all the media will do is repeat the low-ball number and say "see, you're not that many after all." And it's all well and good to say "gosh, our civil rights shouldn't be based on how many people we are," but sorry Charlie, numbers matter, especially in politics. These studies continue to hurt us, and they continue to put out these numbers they know are false, and they know will be misquoted against us.
Thanks for nothing.
