---
title: "As more Americans have contacts with gays and lesbians, social acceptance rises"
description: "About nine-in-ten Americans know someone who is gay or lesbian, and about a quarter say they personally know “a lot” of gay or lesbian people"
date: "2013-06-18"
authors:
  - name: "Bruce Drake"
    job_title: "Former Senior Editor"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-drake/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/06/18/as-more-americans-have-contacts-with-gays-and-lesbians-social-acceptance-rises/"
---

# As more Americans have contacts with gays and lesbians, social acceptance rises

An overwhelming percentage of Americans (87%) say they know someone who is gay or lesbian, according to a [recent Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/06/06/section-2-views-of-gay-men-and-lesbians-roots-of-homosexuality-personal-contact-with-gays/#personal-contacts). Twenty years ago, far fewer (61%) say they had a gay or lesbian acquaintance, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey.

Nearly a quarter (23%) say they personally know “a lot” of gay or lesbian people, while 44% say they know some, and 19% have only one or two gay or lesbian acquaintances. Overall, nearly a third of Americans (31%) say they know no one who is gay or lesbian (12%) or have only one or two gay acquaintances (19%).

[![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/06/DN_Gay_Friends1.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/06/06/section-2-views-of-gay-men-and-lesbians-roots-of-homosexuality-personal-contact-with-gays/#personal-contacts)

About half of Americans (49%) say that a close family member or one of their closest friends is gay or lesbian. And nearly a third (31%) say they know gays or lesbians who are raising children.

The survey also found that 68% of those who know a lot of gays and lesbians — and 61% who have close friends or family members who are gay — say they support same-sex marriage.* (See our interactive – “[Changing Minds: Behind the Support for Gay Marriage](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/03/21/gay-marriage-changing-opinions/).”)*

A [separate Pew Research survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/3/#why-change) found that LGBT adults believe that greater social acceptance of them over the past decade has come as a result of more Americans knowing someone from their community. Seven-in-ten LGBT adults say people knowing someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender helps a lot, and 24% say this helps a little.(The survey of the general public asked only about gays and lesbians). [Read more](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/06/06/section-2-views-of-gay-men-and-lesbians-roots-of-homosexuality-personal-contact-with-gays/#personal-contacts)