Majority in LGBT Community Believe Society Has Become More Accepting in the Last 10 Years

Although many still face violence and slurs

A sweeping new study of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans finds that the overwhelming majority believe society has grown more accepting over the last decade — and will continue to do so in the decade to come.

Yet many said they had faced slurs, rejection or worse. Nearly a third said they had been threatened or physically attacked at some time in their life, the Pew Research Center found. Only about one in five said there was a lot of acceptance for LGBT people today.

For LGBT people, "these are the best of times — but that doesn't mean they are easy times," said Paul Taylor, executive vice president of the Pew Research Center. "Many are still searching to find a comfortable, secure place in a society where acceptance is growing — but still limited."