The 10 Queerest Red States in America, Ranked by LGBTQ+ Population
A new Human Rights Campaign report reveals where LGBTQ+ adults are living, loving, and thriving across conservative America.
When we say we’re “here,” what we really mean is that we’re everywhere. Sure, the coasts and big cities are places where queer people tend to congregate, find community, and put down roots. But there are still plenty of LGBTQ+ folks living their lives all across these great United States, even in places like red states, where one might assume things could be more hostile to LGBTQ+ people.
But where in Red America are our queer siblings? A recent report published by the Human Rights Campaign, LGBTQ+ Adults in the United States: New Population Estimates, used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected between 2021 and 2024 to break down the “size and demographic composition of the LGBTQ+ adult population in the United States,” including where they are making their homes and living their lives.
Yes, there were plenty of blue states on that list, with the usual suspects, like California and New York, boasting healthy percentages of queer folks among their populations. But some surprising states made the list as well, which left GO wondering: Which are the queerest red states? The results were pretty surprising.
For the purposes of this piece, we defined a “red state” as a state that voted Republican in the last three presidential elections—aka the Triple Trumper States.
So, where are we in conservative America? Here are the top 10 red states with the highest percentages of LGBTQ+ adults.
10. Nebraska
The Cornhusker State (the jokes write themselves, so we won’t write them here) came in at No. 10, with an estimated 140K LGBTQ+ folks, or 11.16% of the state’s population, calling Nebraska home.
9. Kansas
If you thought the gayest thing about Kansas was The Wizard of Oz, well, guess what? It’s actually the ninth-queerest red state, with an estimated 211K LGBTQ+ adults, or 11.25% of the state’s adult population, identifying as LGBTQ+.
8. Ohio
In the not-too-distant past (and hopefully near future), Ohio was a solidly purple state, but with the last three presidential elections going for Trump, it has felt less than queer-friendly. And yet, an estimated 883K LGBTQ+ adults, or 11.29% of the state’s age 18 and over population, call the Buckeye State home sweet home.
7. Indiana
Indiana, home of Mike Pence, is also home to an estimated 506K queer adults, making up 11.39% of the Hoosier State’s population. Not too bad!
6. Florida
You can’t say gay, but you sure can be gay in the Sunshine State. According to the study, an estimated 11.39% of its 18+ population, or 1.7 million adults, are LGBTQ+ and living their lives in Florida.
5. Missouri
Much like Ohio, Missouri was once a reliably purple state, often seen as a bellwether state in national elections. But in recent years, it has swung in one direction: red. That hasn’t stopped it from coming in at number five on this list, with an estimated 474K LGBTQ+ folks, or 11.55% of the adult population, putting down roots here.
4. Oklahoma
Oklahoma is one of the most reliably red states. According to the conservative real estate site Conservative Move, it’s the third-most conservative state, with a partisan voting index of R+20. But The Sooner State might turn purple sooner if its LGBTQ+ population keeps growing. As it stands, according to the study, an estimated 298K adults, or 11.58% of Oklahoma’s 18+ population, identify as LGBTQ+.
3. Texas
Everything really is bigger in Texas, including the size of its queer population. The Lone Star State may only come in at number three in this ranking, which is based on the percentage of the adult population identifying as LGBTQ+, with an estimated 12.54% of them doing so. But in sheer numbers—2.2 million LGBTQ+ adults—Texas is second only to California when it comes to queer folks, outranking both Florida and, believe it or not, New York state.
2. Utah
One of the most surprising states to rank on this list, and in the shocking number two slot, is the Beehive State. That’s right: Utah boasts an impressive 12.88% of its population identifying as LGBTQ+, or an estimated 267K adult residents.
1. Alaska
Who would have guessed that the Last Frontier State was so gay? According to the HRC’s study and estimates, 65K LGBTQ+ people, or 14.13% of Alaska’s population, call America’s northernmost state home, making it the queerest red state of them all.
