---
title: "Top Discrimination Targets: Gays"
description: "A plurality of the public believes that gays and lesbians face “a lot” of bias -- roughly double the proportions that see widespread discrimination against blacks or Hispanics."
date: "2010-01-19"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2010/01/19/top-discrimination-targets-gays/"
---

# Top Discrimination Targets: Gays

A plurality of the public (45%) believes that gays and lesbians face “a lot” of bias — roughly double the proportions that see widespread discrimination against blacks (18%) or Hispanics (23%), and three-to five-times the proportion that sees similarly high levels of prejudice directed at women, Asian Americans or whites. The latest Pew Research survey of racial attitudes finds that overall, nearly eight-in-ten (78%) adults say gays and lesbians face at least “some” discrimination. Even blacks see discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation as more pervasive than racial bias against blacks. A majority of blacks (55%) say gays and lesbians face “a lot” of discrimination, 12 percentage points higher than the proportion who say African Americans often confront prejudice. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1459/year-after-obama-election-black-public-opinion)