Researchers are examining a notable fall in LGBTQ+ identification among younger American teenagers, particularly girls, after fresh survey data pointed to sharp changes between 2023 and 2025. The figures matter, but they don't prove that young people are simply “becoming straight” - safety, language, survey design and social pressures may all be shaping the answers.

Essential Takeaways

  • The headline shift: Reported gay or bisexual identification among US ninth-graders fell from 17% in 2023 to 11% in 2025.
  • Girls saw the largest change: Ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual dropped from 27% to 23%.
  • Bisexual identification moved sharply: Among younger girls, the reported figure fell from 26% in 2021 to 13% in 2025.
  • The data isn't universal: Some surveys of older students show declines, while others indicate relative stability.
  • Interpretation matters: The CDC says LGBTQ+ young people continue to face distinct health and safety challenges, so lower identification figures shouldn't be treated as evidence that those challenges have disappeared.

A striking change among younger teenagers

The most eye-catching numbers concern American ninth-graders, typically aged 14 or 15. According to reporting on recent CDC survey findings, the proportion identifying as gay or bisexual fell from 17% in 2023 to 11% in 2025.

Girls accounted for much of the movement. Their lesbian, gay or bisexual identification rate dropped from 27% to 23%, while the figure for boys slipped more modestly, from 9% to 7%. That isn't a tiny statistical wobble, although two years of survey results are still only part of a much longer story.

The wider context is important. Identification among teenagers had risen substantially during the previous decade, particularly among girls. As the CDC's LGBTQ+ youth health material makes clear, identity, behaviour and attraction aren't interchangeable measures, and each captures a different slice of adolescent life.

Why bisexual identification is at the centre of the debate

The sharpest change appears to be among younger girls identifying as bisexual. The reported figure fell from 26% in 2021 to 13% in 2025, a dramatic movement that has prompted competing explanations.

One possibility is that the earlier rise reflected greater comfort with broader identity labels, followed by a retreat as cultural arguments became more hostile. Another is that young people are using different language, selecting a different category, or deciding not to disclose personal information in a survey.

That uncertainty matters. A questionnaire can record what someone is willing to say at a particular moment, but it can't reveal whether their underlying attraction or identity has changed. The Maine Wire also highlighted the decline in younger-teen LGB identification, while the CDC's guidance stresses the importance of supportive and inclusive environments for young people.

Older students tell a more complicated story

The pattern becomes less tidy when researchers look beyond the youngest respondents. Among 12th-grade girls, identification rose from 26% in 2021 to 28% in 2023 before easing to 25% in 2025. That is a notable dip, but it doesn't mirror the sharper fall seen among ninth-graders.

Other surveys have produced an equally mixed picture. A recent paper examining student data reported steep declines in some private-school and university samples, including reductions in students identifying as non-binary. Yet a Higher Education Research Institute freshman survey found broadly stable figures among a wider group of students over a longer period.

Gallup's recent polling also adds an important counterweight, reporting that LGBTQ+ identification among US adults remains broadly steady. Put simply, the available evidence doesn't describe one smooth national reversal. It looks more like different age groups, institutions and survey methods are producing different snapshots.

Are young people changing identity, or changing what they disclose?

This is where the most confident claims run into the limits of the evidence. A fall in self-identification could reflect changing identity, less willingness to disclose, different terminology, or a combination of all three.

The social climate is difficult to separate from the numbers. Young people are answering questions amid heated political debates, restrictions affecting LGBTQ+ discussion in schools, and intense online commentary. The CDC's guidance on inclusive practice notes that safe, respectful environments can influence whether young people feel able to seek support and speak openly.

Researchers should therefore resist the temptation to turn a survey trend into a cultural verdict. Nor does the data justify dismissing LGBTQ+ identities as a passing fad. Some older cohorts remain relatively stable, and the surveys don't all point in the same direction.

What parents, schools and readers should take from it

For families and schools, the practical lesson is less dramatic than the headlines. Don't pressure a young person to adopt a label, abandon one, or explain an answer before they're ready. Keep conversations calm, private and open, especially when identity, relationships or wellbeing come up.

It also helps to distinguish identity from behaviour and attraction. A teenager may use one label, several labels, no label, or change their mind as they grow. That isn't a statistical problem to solve; it's part of adolescence, where language and self-understanding are still developing.

The next surveys will be crucial. Larger samples, consistent questions and transparent reporting will help show whether this is a lasting shift or a temporary change in disclosure. For now, the fairest conclusion is also the least sensational: the numbers have moved, but the reasons remain unsettled.

A changing survey figure is worth investigating, not turning into a simple story about who young people are.

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