“Can I Be LGBTQIA+ and Follow Jesus?” Statistics

Disclaimer: While some historical data was mentioned in the message, we’ve also included more recent findings in the last 3-5 years to support the information as this topic evolves.

Mental Health

As of 2022, though public acceptance of the LGB community has improved significantly over the years (even in 2013, 92% of LGB adults viewed Americans as more accepting), mental health conditions continue to be on the rise for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals according to the National Library of Medicine.

In 2022, data shows that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered committing suicide within the past year.

In 2018, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that 6.3 million LGB adults had a mental and/or substance abuse disorder.

• 70% struggled with alcohol use, 50% struggled with illicit drugs, and 44% struggled with a mental illness.

• Even as the LGBTQ community became more accepted, Serious Mental Illness rates rose significantly over the past several years.

• More than double the number of LGB adults had depressive episodes compared to heterosexual adults.

In European countries where religious practice is hardly existent and homosexual marriage is encouraged and celebrated, there still exists a significant increase in suicide, according to the National Library of Medicine (2016).

• Sweden legalized same-sex relationships in 1944 and made speaking against sexual orientation a hate speech crime in 2003. It was recognized by ILGA as the “most gay-friendly country in Europe.” Yet, there is a 300% increase in the risk of suicide among gay men in Sweden.

A study in the United Kingdom (2008) reported that homosexuals are about 50% more likely to suffer from depression and engage in substance abuse than the rest of the population, and are 200% more likely to be at risk for suicide.

Life Expectancy

A 2020 Public Health Nursing study shows that smoking and tobacco use continues to remain higher in the LGBTQ community, leading to further health concerns and lower life expectancy.

As of 2019, data shows that LGBTQ+ experience a shorter life expectancy.

Men with same-sex sexual partners were proven to have a greater mortality rate than heterosexual men (primarily due to HIV), according to the National Library of Medicine (2011).

Statistically, living a homosexual lifestyle is more dangerous than smoking, which only lowers the lifespan by less than 10 years (2010).

The Family Research Institute (2007) found the average life expectancy of homosexuals is dramatically lower than heterosexuals (by 20-30 years). Only 1% of homosexual men die from old age (age 65+).

Disease

US Centers for Disease Control (2020) found that while only 3% of US population is gay or bisexual, this group is responsible for 43% of cases of syphilis, 60% of cases of gonorrhea, and 97% of monkey pox in the US.

According to a 2021 CDC report, 70% of new HIV cases in 2019 were among homosexual men.

Historically, disease has been more rampant due to monogamy being less common in the LGBTQ community.

• According to a doctor at the Corporate Resource Council (2002), 66% of gay couples reported sex outside the relationship within the first year, and nearly 90% if the relationship lasted five years.

• The Journal of Sex Research (1997) performed a study that found “the modal range for number of sexual partners [homosexual] ever was 101–500.” The study also reported that roughly 10-15% had between 501 and 1,000 partners. Another 10-15% had more than 1,000 lifetime sexual partners.