Only three in ten transgender adults in the United States say their parents or the people who raised them have been accepting of them, according to a survey carried out by Pew Research Center between January 8 and 19, 2025. By comparison, gay and lesbian adults were significantly more likely to report acceptance from family members.
Among LGBTQI respondents overall, siblings were seen as the most accepting group, followed by friends. Just 27 percent of LGBTQI adults surveyed said their entire extended family had been accepting of their identity.
Transgender adults reported the lowest levels of acceptance across most categories, including from siblings, parents, co-workers and extended family. Only bisexual adults reported slightly lower levels of acceptance among friends, though the gap was narrow.
The survey also found that bisexual adults were the least likely to be open with their parents or guardians about their identity. Around 35 percent said they had not come out to them, compared with 18 percent of transgender respondents and 8 percent of gay respondents. Across all groups, respondents were most likely to say their friends were aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
