When you think strong LGBT communities, you might think San Francisco or Portland.

You wouldn't be wrong.

But when it comes to sheer size, Los Angeles is second only to New York in total numbers of folks who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a recent analysis of figures released by the Gallup Organization.

The research firm used 374,000 Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted between June 2012 and December 2014 to parse LGBT population numbers in the nation's 50 largest metro areas.

When it comes to metro areas with the highest ratio of LGBT residents, Los Angeles ranked eighth with 4.6 percent. 

San Francisco (6.2 percent) and Portland (5.4 percent) ranked first and second. Says Gallup:

Similar to San Francisco, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) like Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles in the West, and Boston in the Northeast, are known for their progressive social and political climates and active LGBT communities.

Thanks.

But L.A.'s eighth-place showing is partly the result of being such a large metro area. Our county alone has more than 10 million people, and Gallup's list is weighted for population.

In other words, San Francisco has less than a quarter the population of the city of L.A.. With its large LGBT community representing a good chunk of that Bay city's people, it ranked first on Gallup's list.
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The New York Times this week took a second look at Gallup's numbers and determined that New York and Los Angeles have the biggest LGBT populations in the United States overall.

Greater NYC has about 756,000 LGBT folks, while L.A. is said to have about 590,000.

Now that's something to have some pride about.

Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Dennis Romero on Twitter at @dennisjromero. Follow L.A. Weekly News on Twitter at @laweeklynews.

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