Chapter Text
The following are the results for the questions "Do you identify as LGBTQ+ in any form?" and "Do you identify as any of the following?: Transgender, Intersex, Polyamorous or Consensually Non-Monogamous":
| Identity | Yes | Questioning/Unsure | No | Prefer not to say (including left question blank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGBTQ+ | 81.4% (13136 responses) | 7.2% (1156 responses) | 10.0% (1617 responses) | 1.4% (222 responses) |
| Transgender | 25.1% (4047 responses) | 8.3% (1342 responses) | 64.0% (10328 responses) | 2.6% (414 responses) |
| Intersex | 1.0% (159 responses) | 1.9% (304 responses) | 92.7% (14960 responses) | 4.4% (708 responses) |
| Polyamorous or Consensually Non-Monogamous | 14.0% (2251 responses) | 17.1% (2761 responses) | 65.5% (10561 responses) | 3.5% (558 responses) |
Comparison to Other Surveys
AO3 Census 2013
The corresponding question in the AO3 Census 2013 project was phrased as “Do you identify as belonging to a gender, sexual or romantic minority? (i.e. LGBTQ+)” 53.7% of respondents answered “Yes”, 44.8% answered “No” and 1.5% did not respond. “Transgender” was included as an option on the gender question, and 2.3% of respondents selected it as part of their answer, while 1.9% selected the option “Trans*” as part of their answer (with these two groups overlapping somewhat).
It is clear at a glance that the proportion of respondents who identify as LGBTQ+ and transgender have both grown significantly in the last 10 years. This is not unexpected, given that social acceptance around these identities, particularly transgender people, has grown hugely in the same time, leading to a corresponding increase in the number of people identifying with these labels.
No other fandom demographics surveys we could identify asked about LGBTQ+ identity (independent of gender and sexuality), intersex identity or polyamory. Data comparisons for the “transgender” question will be included in the discussion of the gender identity question.
General Population Surveys
Since comparison to other fandom surveys is not possible, it seems relevant to look at comparison numbers from the general population for each group.
The US has an LGBTQ+ population of approximately 6-7%, a figure which has doubled since 2013. (Flores & Conron 2023, Jones 2022) Tumblr, which was a major source of recruitment for this survey, is particularly popular among LGBTQ+ people, with around 25% of users identifying as LGBTQ+. (Strapagiel 2021) In all of these cases, the figures are higher among younger people, which is relevant since the average age for this survey is only 28 (see chapter 1). However, even taking all of this into account, none of these numbers come close to approaching the 81% figure observed. While this may partially be an artefact of snowball sampling spreading the survey particularly heavily among LGBTQ+ fans, it does suggest at least that there is a significant LGBTQ+-majority subgroup of AO3 users, if not a majority of the site's users overall.
Census-style surveys suggest that the transgender population in Western countries is around 0.3-0.6%, although that figure may be up to three times higher among young people. (Easton 2022, ONS 2023, Flores, Herman & O'Neill 2022) A recent online Pew Research survey found a higher figure of 1.6% overall, and 5.1% among 18-29 year olds. (Brown 2022) However, these figures once again fall short of explaining the remarkably high numbers found in this survey, which suggests that the community of AO3 users surveyed contained a far higher proportion of transgender people than the general population.
The intersex community is not as well surveyed as the above two groups. Estimates suggest that up to 1.7% of people may be considered intersex from a medical standpoint, but it is unclear how many are aware of their condition and/or choose to identify with the label. (Wikipedia Contributors 2024a) However, it is known that intersex people are more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than endosex people (Wikipedia Contributors 2024b); as so many survey respondents are LGBTQ+, this may lead to a higher incidence than would otherwise be expected. Overall, the figures for intersex identity within this survey align with those for the general population.
Data is also scarce for polyamory and consensual non-monogamy, with the exact question asked varying between different surveys. Estimates range from 4-5% of people being currently engaged in a consensually non-monogamous relationship, (Zane 2018) to 10.7% having been in a polyamorous relationship at some point, (Gander 2021) to 19% of adults identifying as polyamorous. (Glasgow Guardian Editors 2022) Without more accurate data available, the figures found in this survey seem to generally fall within the range of values given for the overall population.
Summary
Based on the figures above, it seems as though the survey respondents are significantly more likely to be LGBTQ+ or transgender than the general population, to a degree which is not explained by either age or Tumblr demographics. It is not clear whether this difference is best explained by qualities of fandom as a whole, AO3 as an individual platform, or the particular group reached by this survey.
Reliable statistics for intersex and polyamorous and consensually non-monogamous people are less readily available, but the survey respondents seem to approximately match the general population in these respects.
References
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