Bisexual adults are far less likely than gay men and lesbians to be 'out' to the people in their liv
As the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community celebrates Pride Month in June, bisexual Americans are becoming more and more visible. Bisexuals, who account for about four-in-ten LGBT adults in the United States, stand apart from gay and lesbian adults in many ways, such as the fact that they are less likely to view their sexual orientation as central to their identity.
Bisexual adults are much less likely than gays and lesbians to be “out” to the important people in their lives, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of recently released survey data from Stanford University.
Only 19% of those who identify as bisexual say all or most of the important people in their lives are aware of their sexual orientation. In contrast, 75% of gay and lesbian adults say the same. About one-quarter of bisexual adults (26%) are not “out” to any of the important people in their lives, compared with 4% of gay and lesbian adults. Roughly half of those who are bisexual (54%) are out to some or only a few people.
The experience of coming out to friends and family can be complex. Many bisexuals say they haven’t come out to their parents because they didn’t feel it was important to tell them or the subject never came up, according to the Center’s 2013 survey of LGBT adults. Among those who did come out, bisexual adults report somewhat different experiences from gays and lesbians.
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