The NY Times had an interesting article yesterday about new research into the fraction of the male population that is gay. Research into this question is difficult because many gay men (men who are predominantly sexually attracted to men) are deeply closeted and might not cooperate with surveys on the subject; estimates range from under 2% up to 10%. But an economist, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, tried a different approach: He analyzed data from social media sites, dating sites, and Google searches to infer the fraction of the male population that is gay. He learned some very interesting things. He determined that at least 5% of the male population is gay. It turns out that the fraction of men on Facebook who indicate their sexuality as gay varies drastically depending on whether they live in a more tolerant or less tolerant part of the country---but Stephens-Davidowitz discovered that 5% of searches on Google for pornographic content are for gay pornographic content in all regions of the country. He determined that most gay men in less tolerant parts of the country are closeted; many gay men are in heterosexual marriages. (Google searches for "is my husband gay" are more common than searches for "is my husband cheating," and this search term is most common in intolerant regions.) He gives a poignant anecdote about a retired professor in Mississippi who is gay but who is in a 40-year heterosexual marriage, who deeply regrets all of his major life decisions; he concludes that there is a "huge amount of secret suffering in the United States that can be directly attributed to intolerance of homosexuality." I can't help but think of my own career: I spent 7 years in Mississippi---the most intolerant state in the Union (based on data about support for same-sex marriage)---and I now live in a state whose governor is pushing an amendment to the state constitution that would ban recognition of same-sex relationships or marriages. This amendment, HJR-6, would end same-sex domestic partner benefits for any state employee, which employees of Indiana University currently have. But I am glad to say that Indiana University has stated its opposition to HJR-6, and the university itself (IU Southeast) seems to be a tolerant and supportive place for LGBT people.