New York Times study names Mississippi as state least tolerant of gay people

A new study published at the weekend analysed the places in the US where gay men take longer to come out, and found that Mississippi may be the least tolerant.

The study looked at support for equal marriage initiatives in 2012, and also the number of gay men who openly spoke about their sexuality, compared with those who kept it a secret.

The results also showed higher search numbers for gay porn in some states where fewer men put their sexuality on their Facebook page.

Other states alongside Mississippi which were less tolerant were Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

According to the study, Rhode Island was the most tolerant, along with New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

A report from November 2012 suggested that there had been a new, and rapid shift in support of equal marriage in the US, except in some southern states, such as Texas and several other nearby southern states which had remained opposed to the idea of same-sex marriage.

In terms of regions opposed to equal marriage, the south leads in that respect. South Atlantic and South Central states showed a majority of voters as opposed to equal marriage, where in the latter, which includes Texas, 56% of voters opposed it, versus 35% for.

A couple in the US state of Mississippi were last week denied a divorce in their home state which does not allow or recognise same-sex marriages, as they married in San Francisco, where equal marriage is legal.

• Nov 29 2023

56 celebrities you didn’t know are gay, bisexual or lesbian