More Than 2.2 Million Reasons to Keep Showing Up in Texas
By Tammi Wallace, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
A new report estimates that more than 2.2 million LGBTQ+ adults call Texas home. Behind that number are people, families, businesses and communities—and a powerful reminder of why we must continue building a Texas where every LGBTQ+ person can live, work and thrive.
Sometimes, living and working in Texas as an LGBTQ+ person can feel isolating.
The relentless legislative attacks, harmful rhetoric and efforts to push our community out of public life can leave people feeling as though they do not belong here. For some LGBTQ+ Texans—especially transgender people and families with transgender children—the pressure has become so great that leaving the state feels like the only safe or sustainable choice.
Those decisions are deeply personal, and no one should be judged for doing what is necessary to protect themselves or their family.
But a new report offers a powerful reminder: LGBTQ+ Texans are far from alone.
According to new population estimates from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, approximately 12.54% of Texas adults identify as LGBTQ+—more than 2.2 million people. Texas has the second-largest LGBTQ+ adult population in the country, behind only California, and the largest in the South. (communityinsights.hrc.org)
Here in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land region, more than 565,000 adults—just over 12% of the adult population—identify as LGBTQ+, according to the findings reported by Chron.com. (www.chron.com)
These are not just numbers.
They represent our neighbors, coworkers, customers, entrepreneurs, educators, healthcare professionals, artists, parents, young people and community leaders. They represent people living in our largest cities, our suburbs and rural communities across the state.
They represent us.
We Are Not a Niche Community
For far too long, LGBTQ+ people have been treated as though we are a small or distant population whose lives can be debated without consequence.
These findings tell a very different story.
LGBTQ+ Texans are a significant part of this state’s workforce, consumer base, entrepreneurial community and civic life. We start businesses, create jobs, lead organizations, serve our communities and contribute every day to the strength and vitality of Texas.
We are not an abstract political issue. We are part of the fabric of this state.
That matters to employers deciding whether LGBTQ+ inclusion should remain a priority. It matters to businesses considering whom they serve and support. It matters to elected officials shaping policies that affect our lives. And it matters to every LGBTQ+ Texan who has ever wondered whether there is still a place for them here.
There is.
Texas is our home, too.
Why We Keep Working in Texas
The reality of more than 2.2 million LGBTQ+ adults living in Texas makes our work even more urgent. That is why I believe our continued presence—and our continued work—in Texas matters so deeply.
It is why we continue advocating for workplaces where LGBTQ+ employees can bring their full selves to work. It is why we help LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs build relationships, access opportunities and grow their businesses. It is why we encourage intentional spending with LGBTQ+ and allied businesses. And it is why we continue creating spaces where people can find community, support and a sense of belonging.
This data also reinforces why LGBTQ+ people must be accurately counted and understood. When our community is missing from research and public data, our needs are easier to overlook, and our impact is easier to minimize.
That is one reason the ongoing Houston Area LGBTQ+ Opinions, Voices and Experiences—or L.O.V.E.—Survey is so important. Conducted by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research in collaboration with the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and the Montrose Center, the survey will help provide a clearer understanding of the experiences, needs and priorities of LGBTQ+ people across Greater Houston.
Visibility is more than being seen. It is being counted, understood, represented and included in the decisions that shape our lives.
Being Counted Must Lead to Being Heard
Knowing the size of our community is powerful. But being counted is only the beginning. We must also be heard.
The policies shaping our workplaces, schools, businesses, families and fundamental freedoms are influenced by the people we elect at every level of government. When LGBTQ+ and allied Texans vote, we help determine who makes those decisions—and whether our lives, needs and futures are represented in the process.
That is why participating in every election matters—not only presidential elections, but also primaries, runoffs, municipal elections and races for school boards, judges and other offices that directly affect our daily lives.
Civic participation is economic participation. A thriving, inclusive Texas depends on informed and engaged voters who understand what is at stake and make their voices heard.
The Chamber’s nonpartisan Get OUT the VOTE Campaign provides trusted voter information, important election dates and resources to help LGBTQ+ and allied Texans prepare to participate.
More than 2.2 million LGBTQ+ adults call Texas home. When our community votes, we remind elected leaders that we are here, that our voices matter and that we expect to be represented.
Get voter information and resources.
Our Presence Is Powerful
We should not romanticize how difficult it can be to live openly in Texas. The challenges are real, and the harm caused by discriminatory laws and rhetoric cannot be dismissed.
But neither can we allow those forces to define the whole story of LGBTQ+ life in our state.
Our story is also one of courage, resilience, entrepreneurship, family, creativity and community. It is the story of people who have built lives and businesses here, often in the face of tremendous opposition. It is the story of allies who continue to stand with us and institutions willing to use their influence to help move Texas forward.
More than 2.2 million LGBTQ+ adults call Texas home.
That is more than 2.2 million reasons for businesses to stand with our community.
More than 2.2 million reasons for elected leaders to listen.
More than 2.2 million reasons to keep building, advocating, voting, investing and showing up for one another.
The work ahead will not be easy. But we are here. We belong here. And together, we will continue working toward a Texas where every LGBTQ+ person has the opportunity to live safely, authentically and successfully.
👉 Explore the HRC Foundation’s LGBTQ+ population estimates
