Amid the horror story that is emerging in the US in connection with LGBTQ+ rights, Gallup has released its latest findings on LGBTQ+ identification, revealing that 9.3% of adults in the country identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or another non-heterosexual orientation in 2024. This figure marks a notable increase of over one percentage point from the previous estimate in 2023, and it signifies a substantial rise from just 3.5% in 2012, the year Gallup first began measuring such identification.
The growth in LGBTQ+ identification is particularly pronounced among younger generations. More than 20% of Generation Z adults, born between 1997 and 2006, identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, highlighting a stark contrast with older generations. For instance, only 1.8% of individuals from the Silent Generation, born before 1946, identified as LGBTQ+.
Additionally, data indicates that this trend is not limited to Generation Z; there has been a significant increase in LGBTQ+ identification among Millennials and Generation X as well. Specifically, the percentage of LGBTQ+ identifiers among Millennials rose from 10.3% to 12.0%, and among Generation X, it increased from 3.8% to 4.8%. In contrast, identification rates among Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation have remained relatively unchanged.
The findings derived from over 14,000 telephone interviews with U.S. adults indicate that 85.7% identify as straight, while smaller proportions identify as bisexual (5.2%), gay (2.0%), lesbian (1.4%), transgender (1.3%), and other identities (just under 1%). Among the nearly 900 LGBTQ+ individuals interviewed, the majority, at 56%, identified as bisexual, followed by 21% identifying as gay, 15% as lesbian, 14% as transgender, and 6% as having another LGBTQ+ identity.
The prominence of bisexual identification appears to be a significant factor driving the overall increase in LGBTQ+ identification. Among Gen Z, 59% identify as bisexual, which drops to 52% among Millennials, and decreases further among older generations, with only 44% of Generation X and less than 20% of Baby Boomers identifying in the same way.
The Gallup report also highlights distinctions in LGBTQ+ identification based on gender, political affiliation, and urban versus rural residency. Notably, a higher proportion of women (10%) compared to men (6%) identify as LGBTQ+, largely attributed to women's higher likelihood of identifying as bisexual. Political affiliation further reveals disparities, with 14% of Democrats and 11% of independents identifying as LGBTQ+, compared to just 3% of Republicans. Ideologically, 21% of liberals, 8% of moderates, and 3% of conservatives identify within the LGBTQ+ community.
Urban areas show higher rates of LGBTQ+ identification, with 11% in cities and 10% in suburbs, compared to 7% in rural areas. Educational attainment also appears to correlate with LGBTQ+ identification, but to a lesser extent, as both college graduates and non-graduates report similar rates of identification (9% and 10%, respectively).
In summary, Gallup's findings depict a clear trend of increasing LGBTQ+ identification, particularly among younger cohorts. This upward trajectory suggests that as newer generations come of age, the overall rate of LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. is likely to continue its ascent.
Source: Noah Wire Services