Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers
Starred review from November 15, 2016
Everything you need to knowor didn't even know you wanted to knowcan be found within the pages of this astounding handbook. Deschamps and Singer have done a monumental amount of research, and it shows. The sheer number of topics is impressive in its own right. They include activism, politics, and the law; youth, education, sex, bisexuality, transgender individuals, health and aging, and marriage and family; violence, media, public opinion, religion, sports, and the workplace. Space restrictions prevent discussing the contents in-depth, but let us consider a few of these fascinating statistics. It should be no surprise that Provincetown, Massachusetts, has the highest number of same-sex couples, but who knew that Washington, D.C., has the highest percentage of LGBT people among states (even though it is, of course, not a state in the traditional sense), followed by (another surprise) Hawaii. There are plenty of fun facts, too. The first gay couple to appear regularly on television was in the 1975 series Hot L Baltimore. The most successful commercial film with LGBTQ themes? That would be Birdcage (1996). But perhaps the biggest news is the overall positive shift in public opinion toward LGBTQ Americans. An important and indispensable research tool for every library collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)