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LGBTQ People

LGBTQ people in the United States have families, work hard to earn a living, pay taxes, and serve their communities and their country. Recent research by Gallup finds that 9.3% of the adults in the United States identify as LGBTQ. Applying these figures to the total number of adults in the U.S., this suggests that there are over 24 million LGBTQ adults nationwide. 

The following is a collection of MAP’s library of resources addressing the many aspects of LGBTQ people’s lives. For more tailored results, please use the search function or select an issue or population from the Policy & Issue Analysis menu.

Related Resources

Support for Transgender People is Higher Than Headlines Suggest
This partner brief from MAP and Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) offers new analysis which shows that transgender people are widely accepted and supported by their families, workplaces, faith communities, and more.
Brief
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LGBTQ Equality Maps Updates: May 2026
In this rapidly changing landscape, MAP’s LGBTQ Equality Maps provide a detailed snapshot of the current state of LGBTQ laws and policies in the United States. See below for a listing of state level policy changes and MAP’s bill tracking updates as of May 26, 2026.
Blog Post
Mapping Equality
This collection of LGBTQ-related resources includes periodic updates of state level policy changes and bill tracking, comprehensive retrospectives, legislative wrap-ups and forecasts.
Policy Overview
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Talking About ID Update Bans
Identification documents are vital keys that open doors to so many parts of everyday life. Learn about conversations that can help conflicted audiences understand what’s at stake when states seek to ban transgender people from updating the gender marker on their ID.
Guide
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LGBTQ Equality Maps Updates: April 2026
This snapshot details the current state of LGBTQ laws and policies in the United States as of April 2, 2026.
Blog Post
Nondiscrimination Laws
Non-discrimination laws protect LGBTQ people from employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, and other discrimination.
Map
Marriage & Relationship Recognition
States with the freedom to marry do not ban same-sex couples from entering into legal marriages. However, most states still have constitutional amendments, statutes, or both banning marriage for same-sex couples, even after the 2015 Supreme Court case Obergefell extended marriage equality nationwide.
Map
Family Leave Laws
State family leave laws covering same-sex couples govern whether an LGBT person can take leave from work to care for their same-sex spouse or partner.
Map
Employment Nondiscrimination
Employment non-discrimination laws protect people from being unfairly fired, not hired, or discriminated against in the workplace by private employers on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
Map
Local Nondiscrimination Ordinances
Local employment non-discrimination ordinances protect people from being unfairly fired, not hired, or discriminated against in the workplace by private employers on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
Map
Safe School Laws
This map shows state school nondiscrimination laws that explicitly enumerate sexual orientation and/or gender identity as protected characteristics, as well as states that explicitly interpret existing prohibitions against sex discrimination to include discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Map
Anti-bullying
This map shows state anti-bullying laws that explicitly enumerate sexual orientation and/or gender identity as protected characteristics, as well as states that explicitly interpret existing prohibitions against sex discrimination to include discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Map
Regulating Gender To Allow Discrimination
As part of a broader, coordinated attack on transgender people across the country, these newly emerging laws explicitly regulate gender by defining "sex" throughout all state law to effectively allow discrimination against transgender people.
Map
Bans on Transgender People Using Public Bathrooms and Facilities According to their Gender Identity
Map
Transgender Healthcare “Shield” Laws
Map
Parental Recognition Laws
Legal recognition of the parent-child relationship ("parentage") is important for many reasons, from healthcare decisions and school settings to economic security, everyday life, and much more. These maps illustrate some of the pathways to parental recognition that are especially important for LGBTQ families.
Map
Child Welfare Nondiscrimination Laws
Child welfare nondiscrimination laws protect youth in the child welfare system from discrimination based on the youth's sexual orientation and gender identity.
Map
Identity Document Laws and Policies
These maps illustrate the state laws and administrative polices governing the processes by which an individual can change the gender marker on their driver's license and/or birth certificate to accurately reflect their gender identity, sometimes including intrusive and outdated requirements, such as proof of sex reassignment surgery and court orders.
Map
Religious Exemptions
State religious exemption laws permit people, churches, non-profit organizations, and sometimes corporations to seek exemptions from state laws that burden their religious beliefs. These laws have recently been used as a defense when businesses discriminate against or refuse service to LGBTQ customers and same-sex couples.
Map
Restrictions on Drag Performances
Map
Forced Outing of Transgender Youth in Schools
This map tracks a growing number of states with laws that explicitly require school staff—and in some cases, any government or public employee—to out transgender youth to their families.
Map
Bans on Transgender Youth Participation in Sports
Map
LGBTQ Curricular Laws
This map summarizes whether states have an LGBTQ-inclusive curricular standards law or any of the following LGBTQ-specific school censorship laws: “Don’t Say LGBTQ” laws, older laws censoring discussions of homosexuality, and parental opt-out/opt-in laws.
Map
Bans on Best Practice Medical Care for Transgender Youth
Bans on best-practice medical care represent one of the most extreme and coordinated political attacks on transgender people in recent years. These bills target transgender youth by blocking their access to best-practice medical care.
Map
Medicaid Coverage of Transgender-Related Health Care
Map
Targeted: Medical Professionals
Map
Targeted: Marriage Solemnization by Public Officials
Map
Targeted: Private Wedding Services
Map
Hate Crime Laws
Map
Snapshot: Equality Ratings by State
Map
State Employee Health Benefits
Map
Targeted: Child Welfare Services
Map
LGBT Populations: LGBT People Raising Children
Map
LGBT Populations: Same-Sex Couples Raising Children
Map
Hate Crime Laws: Data Collection
This map shows both what states require hate crimes data collection, and of those states, which specifically require data collection about hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Map
Hate Crime Laws: Law Enforcement Training
Map
Bans on Insurance Exclusions of Transgender-Related Care
Map
Data Collection
These maps detail states that include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) surveys, respectively.
Map
Conversion “Therapy” Laws
This map illustrates the landscape of laws that prohibit licensed mental health practitioners from subjecting LGBTQ minors to harmful conversion “therapy” practices that attempt to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Map
LGBTQ-Inclusive Curricular Standards
Map
Healthcare Laws and Policies
Map
LGBT Populations
Map
HIV Criminalization Laws
Map
Private Insurance Nondiscrimination Laws
Map
Fertility Healthcare Coverage
Map
Equality Snapshot: Overall Policy Score
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LGBT Populations: Overall
Map
LGBT Population Density
Map
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