The Video Advertising Bureau today published "Stand with Pride," a research report drawing on MRI-Simmons Winter 2026 data and Gallup survey figures to document the current size, economic weight, and advertising attitudes of the LGBTQ+ community and its broader network of allies. The findings present a measurable commercial case for year-round marketing investment directed at this audience and those who support it.

The report, announced June 22, 2026, arrives during Pride Month but frames its core argument explicitly beyond the seasonal window. The LGBTQ+ community, according to VAB, "demonstrates strong cultural influence, higher receptivity to advertising and a greater likelihood to support brands that align with their values." More significantly for media buyers, the data shows that allies of the LGBTQ+ community - defined as those who identify as "very supportive" - outspend non-supporters across multiple major consumer categories by a margin that totals $73 billion versus $56 billion.

How large is the LGBTQ+ community?

The report opens with a candid acknowledgment of a persistent data challenge. As a self-identifying group, the LGBTQ+ community produces different population estimates depending on the methodology used. Gallup's figure, based on a February 16, 2026 poll, puts the number at 24.3 million Americans - or 9% of the general population - a figure the publication describes as "nearly triple the amount recorded in 2012." MRI-Simmons, whose Winter 2026 Study underpins the bulk of the VAB analysis, produces a more conservative count of 14.9 million, or 5.6% of the general population, according to VAB.

VAB uses a total U.S. population figure of 341.8 million from the US Census Bureau's 2025 estimate as the denominator for these calculations. The spread between 14.9 million and 24.3 million reflects methodological differences rather than any error in either dataset. The Gallup figure uses telephone polling of a nationally representative sample while MRI-Simmons uses an address-based panel of roughly 50,000 annual respondents. Both point in the same direction: the community has grown substantially since 2012 and now represents a commercially material segment regardless of which baseline a marketer chooses.

A younger, more diverse demographic profile

The age composition of the LGBTQ+ community carries significant implications for audience planning. According to VAB's analysis of the MRI-Simmons Winter 2026 Study, 79% of people who identify as LGBTQ+ fall between the ages of 18 and 49 - the cohort that commands the heaviest weighting in most advertising campaigns. The generational breakdown is striking. Gen Z, defined in the report as those born between 1997 and 2010, accounts for 40% of LGBTQ+ adults. Millennials, born between 1977 and 1996, make up 39%. That near-equal split means roughly four in five LGBTQ+ adults belong to the two youngest adult generations. Gen X and Boomers each account for only 10%.

The ethnic composition of the community also shows meaningful divergence from the general adult population. Hispanic consumers index at 109 against the broader A18+ population, Asian consumers at 111, and Native American consumers at 207. White consumers, who make up 55% of the LGBTQ+ community, index at 93 - slightly below their share of the general adult population. These indexing figures matter for how advertisers calibrate creative and media targeting within the community.

Education and income parity with non-LGBTQ+ consumers

One of the more counterintuitive findings in the VAB data concerns education and household income. The report compares LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ adults directly and finds the groups nearly identical across both dimensions. Among LGBTQ+ adults, 37% hold a bachelor's degree or higher; among non-LGBTQ+ adults, the figure is 36%. The share with household incomes above $150,000 is exactly 29% in both groups, according to VAB's analysis of MRI-Simmons Winter 2026 data.

This parity matters because it removes a historically cited uncertainty about the economic weight of LGBTQ+ consumers. The data does not support treating the community as a niche low-income or disproportionately affluent group. It is, in income and education terms, broadly representative of the American adult population - which in turn means the spending differential between LGBTQ+ allies and non-supporters cannot be attributed simply to demographic skews.

The ally spending gap: $17 billion across categories

The most commercially specific data point in the report concerns ally spending behavior. VAB draws on MRI-Simmons' "The State of LGBTQ+ Acceptance in America," a 2025 study, to compare spending across categories between respondents who describe themselves as "very supportive" of the LGBTQ+ community and those who are "not at all supportive."

The results are substantial. Allies spent over $73 billion across measured categories. Non-supporters spent $56 billion. The gap opens most sharply in fragrance, where allies spend 61% more than non-supporters. Fine dining follows at 48% more. Health and beauty aids for women are 43% higher among allies. International vacations show a 31% differential.

VAB notes these figures span a wide range of everyday and aspirational categories - from personal care to travel - and that the allied audience in aggregate represents a significantly more valuable commercial target than the non-supportive group, across sectors that span premium consumer goods and services. For brands actively building relationships with this community, the commercial logic extends well beyond Pride Month into planning cycles that cover fragrance launches, beauty campaigns, restaurant marketing, and travel promotions throughout the year.

Marriage and family structure: a decade of change

The report tracks changes in marriage rates among LGBTQ+ adults since the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015. The data, pulled from MRI-Simmons studies in 2015, 2022, and 2026, shows the LGBTQ+ marriage rate has risen from 7% in 2015 to 14% in 2022, then doubled again to 28% in 2026. That is a fourfold increase from the baseline year and a twofold increase from 2022, while the non-LGBTQ+ marriage rate has moved in the opposite direction - from 54% to 55% and back to 53% over the same period.

Family formation patterns are also nearly equivalent. In 2026, 37% of LGBTQ+ adults report having any children, compared with 39% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. Among those with two or more children, the gap narrows further: 22% of LGBTQ+ adults versus 23% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. The convergence in family structure across these groups has practical implications for media targeting, particularly in household goods, childcare, education, and related categories where LGBTQ+ households have historically been undercounted or excluded from planning models.

Influence and early adoption patterns

The VAB analysis of influencer attitudes - measuring agreement with statements about product discovery and peer influence - shows consistent gaps between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ adults on several dimensions. Among LGBTQ+ respondents, 36% agree they like to share opinions about products and services by posting reviews and ratings online, versus 31% of non-LGBTQ+ respondents. On the statement "people come to me for advice before buying new things," 32% of LGBTQ+ adults agree, compared with 26% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. The statement "I'm always one of the first of my friends to try new products or services" is endorsed by 28% of LGBTQ+ adults versus 24% of non-LGBTQ+ adults, and "people often copy what I do or wear" matches the same 28% versus 24% split, according to VAB.

These differentials, while not dramatic in absolute terms, point to a community that functions as a net exporter of product information and purchasing behavior within its social networks. For brands in categories where early adoption and peer recommendation drive volume - consumer electronics, beauty, fashion, food and beverage - the community's outsized influencer index adds to its commercial appeal beyond raw audience size.

Social advocacy and brand expectations

The gap between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ consumers in social advocacy attitudes is wider than the gap in influencer attitudes. According to VAB, 89% of LGBTQ+ adults say "it is important that a company acts ethically," versus 88% of non-LGBTQ+ adults - a near-identical finding that suggests this baseline expectation is universal. The divergence sharpens on more specific brand behaviors. Among LGBTQ+ adults, 56% say they are "more likely to purchase brands that support a cause I care about," compared to 50% of non-LGBTQ+ respondents. The environmental record of a company matters to purchasing decisions for 45% of LGBTQ+ adults versus 38% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. The expectation that "the brands I buy support social causes" is held by 40% of LGBTQ+ adults, against 32% of the broader non-LGBTQ+ group. Being "more likely to buy a brand committed to reducing its impact on the environment" is endorsed by 37% of LGBTQ+ adults compared with 29% of non-LGBTQ+ respondents.

These differentials represent a consistent pattern rather than isolated data points. The LGBTQ+ community holds the same ethical baseline as the general population but applies it more actively to purchasing behavior - and extends it into environmental and social domains more frequently. The commercial implication is that brand positioning around values, ethics, and social causes generates stronger commercial resonance with this audience than with non-LGBTQ+ consumers.

Inclusive advertising and cultural diversity expectations

The data on advertising attitudes reinforces this pattern. According to VAB's analysis of MRI-Simmons Winter 2026 data, 65% of LGBTQ+ adults agree that "it is important for companies to create advertising that is culturally diverse in order to stay relevant," compared with 57% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. The 8-percentage-point gap is consistent with findings across other social advocacy metrics.

On the specific question of LGBTQ+-targeted content, 55% of all adults say they "don't mind when brands promote items specific to the LGBTQ+ community," according to MRI-Simmons' "The State of LGBTQ+ Acceptance in America," 2025. Among all adults, 51% agree that "companies and brands should support the LGBTQ+ community all year, not just during gay pride month."

The ally base: mainstream support across demographics

Support for the LGBTQ+ community extends well beyond the community itself. According to MRI-Simmons 2025 data cited in the report, 56% of total U.S. adults describe themselves as supportive. The figure varies by gender and generation. Among women, support reaches 64%. Among men, it stands at 48%. Gen Z shows the highest generational support at 63%, followed by Millennials at 59%, while Gen X and Boomers both sit at 53%. The support base is, by any conventional marketing definition, a mainstream majority.

That majority context shapes how the VAB frames the year-round opportunity. Brands that structure their LGBTQ+ engagement around Pride Month alone are, according to the VAB analysis, reaching this community at its most saturated period of advertising attention while bypassing the other 11 months of commercial opportunity. The data from MRI-Simmons shows that the majority of the general adult population already expects brands to engage with this community beyond June - a consumer expectation that most media planning calendars do not yet reflect.

DEI attitudes and purchasing behavior

The report includes a section on DEI attitudes drawn from the VAB's analysis of MRI-Simmons 2026 Q2 Trending Topics Study. The findings show that 72% of LGBTQ+ adults, 59% of non-LGBTQ+ adults, and 60% of all adults A18+ agree it is "crucial for organizations and educational institutions to maintain their DEI initiatives." On whether DEI programs bring people together, 64% of LGBTQ+ adults agree, as do 52% of non-LGBTQ+ adults and 53% of all adults. The purchasing behavior data is particularly specific: 56% of LGBTQ+ adults, 41% of non-LGBTQ+ adults, and 42% of all adults say they "no longer shop at certain stores because they removed their formal DEI policies."

That final figure - 41% of non-LGBTQ+ adults actively avoiding stores that dropped DEI policies - underscores the extent to which decisions about inclusive brand positioning affect not just the LGBTQ+ community but a substantial share of the general consumer population. The commercial risk of withdrawing DEI commitments is, according to this data, not confined to the directly affected community.

What this means for marketers

The report was produced by Jason Wiese, EVP of Strategic Insights and Measurement at VAB, alongside Leah Pujalte, VP of Audience and Behavioral Insights, Karolina Guillen, Associate Director of Insights Strategy and Analytics, and Amanda Cashman, Insights Analyst.

VAB frames the report explicitly as an update to its June 2022 analysis "What Is the Market Opportunity for the LGBTQ+ Community?" - reflecting the organization's view that conditions have changed enough in four years to warrant a full revision of the underlying data. The marriage rate data alone - rising fourfold since 2015 - illustrates how much the community's structural profile has shifted in a relatively short period.

The audience overlap with Gen Z and Millennials is significant context for marketers tracking the VAB's wider research output. PPC Land has covered VAB's 2026 streaming behavior report, which documented a structural shift toward ad-supported models among exactly these younger cohorts - the same generations that now make up 79% of the LGBTQ+ community. That alignment means that platforms building addressable CTV infrastructure have an opportunity to reach the LGBTQ+ community through channels the community already gravitates toward.

The VAB's parallel research on diverse audiences reinforces the broader pattern. A June 2026 VAB report on Black audiences found that 70% of Black consumers would stop buying from brands they perceived as devaluing their community - a finding that applies with similar force to LGBTQ+ consumers, given the social advocacy attitudes documented in "Stand with Pride." The convergence of these datasets points toward a single conclusion: diverse audiences as a class are more likely than the general population to make purchasing decisions on the basis of brand values, not just product attributes.

PPC Land has also tracked how LGBTQ+-specific platforms are building advertising infrastructure around this audience. Grindr's advertising revenue reached $74 million in 2025, up 37% year-over-year, with users demonstrating 50% higher rates of holding advanced degrees compared to general populations. That platform's scale - 15 million average monthly active users across 190 countries - gives advertisers direct access to the community documented in the VAB report, through an environment where engagement signals are measurably higher than most programmatic inventory.

On the creative side, a June 15 partnership between Clear Channel Outdoor and Rainbow Labs placed LGBTQ+ youth directly inside the production of Pride-themed out-of-home campaigns in Los Angeles - a structural approach to authentic creative development that the VAB data suggests resonates more deeply with this community than broadly adapted mainstream messaging.

The broader market context for the "Stand with Pride" findings is a media industry actively investing in audience intelligence for culturally distinct communities. VAB's addressable TV guide from June 9, 2026 documented that 92% of pay TV households are now addressable-enabled - a technical reality that makes household-level targeting of LGBTQ+ allied households increasingly feasible within existing media buying infrastructure, for brands willing to activate it.

Timeline

Summary

Who: The Video Advertising Bureau (VAB), a trade organization for the video advertising industry, authored the "Stand with Pride" report. The research team includes Jason Wiese, EVP of Strategic Insights and Measurement, Leah Pujalte, VP of Audience and Behavioral Insights, Karolina Guillen, Associate Director of Insights Strategy and Analytics, and Amanda Cashman, Insights Analyst. The data is sourced from MRI-Simmons Winter 2026 Study, the MRI-Simmons 2026 Q2 Trending Topics Study, and MRI-Simmons' "The State of LGBTQ+ Acceptance in America" (2025), alongside Gallup data published February 16, 2026.

What: A 19-page research report titled "Stand with Pride" documenting the current size and demographic composition of the LGBTQ+ community, comparing attitudes and spending behavior between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ consumers, and measuring the spending differential between allies and non-supporters of the community. Key findings include: allies of the LGBTQ+ community spent $73 billion versus $56 billion among non-supporters, 79% of LGBTQ+ adults are aged 18-49, Gen Z accounts for 40% of the LGBTQ+ community, 29% of LGBTQ+ adults have household incomes above $150,000 (equal to non-LGBTQ+ adults), marriage among LGBTQ+ couples has risen fourfold since 2015, and 56% of total U.S. adults identify as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

When: The report was published today, June 22, 2026, during Pride Month. It updates a prior VAB analysis published in June 2022 with fresh data from MRI-Simmons Winter 2026 and related 2025-2026 studies.

Where: The report was released by VAB, headquartered at 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017. The underlying research covers the U.S. adult population using nationally representative data.

Why: The report addresses the gap between the commercial significance of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies - documented through spending differentials, income parity with the general population, and high advertising receptivity - and the tendency of many brands to limit engagement to Pride Month campaigns. VAB's argument is that the data supports a year-round marketing investment case, and that the community's strong social advocacy attitudes mean authenticity and consistency matter more than timing alone.