Under the Radar with Callie Crossley
They say numbers tell the story, and that is how authors Bennett Singer and David Deschamps are telling the story of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer experience in America. Those numbers, gleaned from the worlds of politics, science, pop culture, sports and activism, are now in their new book, LGBTQ Stats: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers. It is the WGBH March selection for the Bookmarked: Under the Radar Book Club.
Have Questions about the LGBTQ
Community? It's OK, You're Fact-Curious.
How many young Americans identify as 100% heterosexual? Where do LGBTQ people live? In what countries is same-sex activity punishable by prison or death? These are all things the stats can tell you, and Bennett Singer has spent the last few years collating the most recent research to paint a data portrait of LGBTQ life in the US. Editing the book was as eye-opening for Bennett as it will be for readers, from how many same-sex couples are raising children in Mississippi, to the stigma against bisexual people and the knock-on effects that has in health risks. The truth is in the numbers, and understanding what the lives of LGBTQ people are like is the path towards better policy decision and individual interactions. Bennett Singer's most recent book is co-edited with his husband, David Deschamps: LGBTQ Stats: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers.
The Michelangelo Signorile Show
Over the course of the past few decades, the LGBTQ community in the U.S. has made great strides toward equality despite the best attempts of conservative activists and politicians — but how can we truly measure this progress and learn from it to inform the fights of the future? In their new book LGBTQ Stats: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People by the Numbers, David Deschamps and Bennett Singer chronicle and analyze the ongoing LGBTQ revolution by providing the critical statistics and data to measure this progress. The book is an invaluable resource for activists, journalists, lawmakers, and the general population who want the facts and figures on LGBTQ lives in the twenty-first century, and Bennett joins me on the show to talk all about the book.
