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NEW YORK — Only one in 10 Americans say they learned about LGBTQ+ history in school, according to new research.
A survey of 300 LGBTQ+ Americans found just four percent learned about LGBTQ+ history in primary or secondary school, while six percent said it was included as part of their college curriculum. However, respondents hope to see that change in the future, as 62% believe there should be more LGBTQ+ history taught in schools.
When asked why, one respondent said, “LGBTQ+ history is American history and should be taught as such.”
“I’m 80; when I came out, at 14, there was no history, no books, no one to talk with, and you were lost with your life. I don’t want anyone else feeling that way, so teaching history is super important,” another survey respondent added.
Despite their lack of formal education, the data found that 72% feel knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ history. The survey, conducted by Talker Research, tested that knowledge by asking about key dates, activists, and other facts related to LGBTQ+ history.
A third of respondents (34%) correctly selected 2015 as the year when same-sex marriage became legal federally, with the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. However, Americans were less knowledgeable about the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, which occurred about a decade before the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Twenty-nine percent incorrectly selected California as the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, when in fact, it was Massachusetts (which was answered correctly by only 27% of the poll).
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Only 16% knew that in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal for workers to be fired for their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The survey also asked about famous LGBTQ+ activists: 31% of respondents knew Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag (though his original design had eight stripes versus the six that are common now). Thirty-four percent were able to correctly identify Marsha P. Johnson as one of the prominent figures at the Stonewall Riots.
When it came to Stonewall, only 38% knew the riots occurred in 1969 — and a similar number (39%) correctly said that June is Pride Month because it’s the month the Stonewall Riots took place.
Regardless of their knowledge about Pride Month and LGBTQ+ history, three in four respondents in the survey said they were “proud” to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 300 LGBTQ+ Americans was fielded between June 4 and June 10, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).
