The number of adults who identify as LGBTQ+ is growing! According to a Gallup poll 1 in 5 Americans now self-identify as LGBTQ+.
The reasons for this shift aren’t crystal clear but with Gen Z and Millennials coming out/self-identifying as queer much more often than their older Gen X and Boomer counterparts, it seems that these younger generations don’t feel there is as much stigma associated with being queer as there was for prior generations. Around 21% of Gen Z adults (born between 1997 and 2003) identify with one or more identities of the LGBTQ+ spectrum. That’s almost twice as many as Millennials and nearly 10 times as many as Boomers.
Breaking down the numbers even further, 57% of those who identified as LGBTQ+ identified as bisexual, which is roughly 4% of American adults. 21% identify as gay, 14% as lesbian, 10% as transgender and 4% as something else, including pansexual, intersex, gender fluid and nonbinary. Several earlier studies also concluded that bisexual is the most common LGBTQ+ identity.
As more of Gen Z reaches adulthood, the number of adults who consider themselves LGBTQ+ continues to grow. These young adults are growing up and accepting their sexuality or gender identity at a time when Americans increasingly accept gays, lesbians and transgender people, and LGBTQ+ individuals have more legal protection against discrimination than in the past.
"The kids are growing up now ... in a very different environment," said Jeff Jones, the author of the Gallup poll. He added that LGBTQ+ young adults are "much more likely because of their environment to acknowledge that and to accept that compared to people in the past who were in a similar situation."
The number of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ can be expected to continue to grow as younger generations begin to make up a larger share of the total population, and while we still have a long way to go, it’s encouraging to see the societal shift and the growing acceptance of being queer as part of the norm.
Revan Health provides welcoming, respectful family medicine for all from infants to geriatrics. We understand the pain and frustration that comes with not feeling heard by your family care provider. We believe access to respectful care is key to improving medicine adherence and overall life satisfaction for our patients. Like us on Facebook or visit us at revanhealth.com.