Six percent of U.K. population is gay
Ben Townley, Gay.com U.K.
Monday, December 12, 2005 / 04:16 PM

Just over 6 percent of the U.K. population is lesbian or gay, according to the first official figures released by the government.
The statistics, released by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), are expected to finally call an end to the debate over how much of the country is gay.
Additionally, activists hope it will end opponents of pro-gay laws insisting that gay people are in such a minority that protections against discrimination are a waste of the government's time.
Previously, some politicians who have consistently voted against gay rights have argued that as few as 1 in 100 people are gay.
Stonewall's Ben Summerskill said the numbers are "welcome and long overdue."
"This is a significant moment," he said. "For the first time the government has robustly acknowledged the existence of a substantial number of gay people in Britain."
The figures are based on a series of studies over the last 15 years compiled by the DTI, which handles laws aimed at minority groups.
The 6 percent figure roughly translates to 3.6 million people from across the country. Those behind the numbers say this will obviously vary in different areas, particularly rural and urban centers.
Additionally, they say there is still a lack of information about Britain's LGBT communities.
"It is based on a number of studies by different interest groups, but fundamentally there is very little reliable information about the size of the lesbian, gay and bisexual group," a spokesperson told the Telegraph newspaper.