A new poll on Wednesday revealed that the number of Americans ages 18 to 27 who identify as non-heterosexual has more than doubled in seven years.
A Gallup survey of 12,000 Americans found that 22.3% of Gen Zers currently identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender, or “other.” However, in 2017, it was revealed that it was 10%.
Additionally, 28.5% of Gen Z women said they were not heterosexual, and 20.7% said they were bisexual.
One expert told the Post that the surge in non-heterosexual identification could be due to social media, influencers and the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.
But other experts said Gen Z may just be more willing to be open about their sexuality, especially young women who identify as bisexual.
The poll also found that the number of LGBTQ+ Americans has doubled in the past decade, with 7.6% of American adults identifying as LGBTQ+.
This rate has exploded from 3.5% in 2012, when Gallup first began polling. The company said in a statement: It was released on Wednesday.
“These changes have been led by young Americans… [and] Generational differences and trends suggest that rates of LGBTQ+ identification may increase nationally in the future. ”
The LGBTQ+ population has declined significantly among older generations. 9.8% of Millennials born between 1981 and 1996 say they are not heterosexual.
The figure for Gen %is. Anything other than straight.
According to Gallup data, 0.9% of American adults currently identify as transgender. However, Zoomer’s percentage is nearly three times that of hers, at 2.8%. Additionally, she recognizes that 1% of adults identify as non-binary.
“Each young generation is about twice as likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than the previous generation,” Gallup reported.
Dr. Erica Anderson, a psychologist who specializes in counseling transgender youth transitioning, believes that a desire to belong to a repressed identity may be at play.
Anderson, who is transgender herself, told the Post that “a great deal of empathy for the oppressed makes some people mysteriously empathize with marginalized groups.”
She also points to a number of other factors, including “social isolation due to the pandemic; a dramatic increase in social media consumption; This is the rise of a new phenomenon of “social influencers” who provide guidance. ”
Anderson has been a vocal critic of hasty medical intervention in response to the surge in young people who identify as transgender.
“There are still transgender and gay kids out there, but I think they’re in the minority of people who question their gender,” she says. “And I worry that too many medical professionals can’t see the forest for the trees.”
Other experts offered different analyses.
“They feel a lot of freedom in their generation,” Rich Sabin Williams, professor emeritus of psychology at Cornell University, told the Post. “Rigid categories like gay, lesbian, straight are being rejected. They’re not going.”
The number of Americans who identify as bisexual is increasing, and their numbers are increasing.
Nearly six in 10 adults who identify as LGBTQ+ say they are bisexual, making up 4.4% of the U.S. population and far exceeding the 1.4% and 1.2% of the gay and lesbian population, respectively. I am.
Women were also significantly more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than men, at 8.5% and 4.7%.
Sabin Williams, author of Bi: Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid, and Nonbinary Youth, says, “There are always more women who identify as bisexual than men; I think it’s because they are more certain about their sexuality.” .
“I think a lot of the increase is particularly among young women, who may not consider themselves transgender or non-binary, but who consider themselves in the bisexual realm. Whether it’s sexual or gendered, it could be romantic.”
Experts say the rate of growth in the LGBTQ+ population is likely to slow, as young bisexual women lead the way and their numbers continue to rise.
According to Gallup, more than 10% of the population could identify as non-heterosexual within the next 30 years.
“We’re starting to see a big expansion. [of the LGBTQ population]but it can’t last forever,” Sabin Williams said.
