Researchers are examining a sharp fall in LGBTQ+ identification among younger US teenagers, particularly ninth-grade girls. The change has prompted celebration from the right and concern from queer advocates, but the underlying reason remains unclear. The figures also need careful reading: today’s teens still report LGBTQ+ identities more often than earlier generations.

Essential Takeaways

  • The biggest shift: Ninth-grade girls reporting lesbian or bisexual identities fell substantially between 2021 and 2025.
  • Bisexual identification changed most: The reported proportion among younger girls was roughly half its earlier level.
  • The picture isn't uniform: Older teenagers and boys show much smaller changes.
  • The trend needs context: LGBTQ+ identification remains higher than before the pandemic.
  • No simple explanation yet: Researchers say politics, social pressure and survey changes may all play a role.

A dramatic drop, but not the whole story

The headline figure is striking. An analysis of 2025 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey data found that the proportion of ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual had fallen from around 30% in 2021 to about 17% in 2025, according to The Washington Post.

The change was especially pronounced among bisexual respondents. In 2021, roughly 26% of ninth-grade girls identified as bisexual; four years later, the figure was about half that. Those numbers are bound to attract attention, but they describe one age group rather than every young person in the country.

That distinction matters. Reporting from LGBTQ Nation and The Washington Post indicates that older teenagers' figures have remained comparatively steady, while boys' identification rates have changed far less. This isn't a universal retreat from LGBTQ+ identity, even if the younger-girl numbers look unusually sharp.

Why the 2021 comparison is tricky

The earlier survey was conducted after a period of pandemic disruption, when schools, friendships and family routines had been radically altered. Researchers have suggested that the 2021 results may have reflected a particular moment of openness, experimentation or changing social language.

The later data, meanwhile, came amid a different cultural climate. Young people have faced louder political arguments about LGBTQ+ rights, school policies and gender identity, which may influence how comfortable they feel choosing a label. As The Washington Post reported, however, the available evidence doesn't establish one clear cause.

There may also be a measurement issue. The language used in surveys, the answer choices offered and the way teenagers understand labels can all affect results. A teenager who once selected bisexual might now choose another term, decline to label themselves or simply interpret the question differently.

Is politics driving the change?

It's tempting to blame the shift entirely on the increasingly hostile political environment. LGBTQ+ advocates have warned that anti-queer rhetoric can make young people less willing to disclose their identity, particularly in schools or households where they fear judgement.

But the pattern doesn't neatly fit that explanation. If political pressure were the only driver, researchers would expect a broader movement across age groups rather than a particularly strong effect among ninth-grade girls. Jean Twenge, whose analysis was discussed by The Washington Post, has said that politics may be part of the picture but clearly isn't the whole answer.

That uncertainty hasn't stopped commentators on the American right from treating the figures as evidence that queer and trans identities are fading. LGBTQ Nation and The Maine Wire both reported on the sharply different political interpretations of the findings. The reality is less tidy: a survey change can be real without proving that one side's preferred explanation is correct.

What should parents and teachers take from it?

The most useful response is probably not to panic or celebrate, but to keep listening. A teenager's label can change as their understanding develops, and some young people may prefer no label at all. That doesn't make an earlier identity fake, nor does it mean the later answer is less genuine.

Adults should also avoid turning a survey result into a demand for disclosure. Supportive questions, privacy and access to trustworthy health information matter more than persuading a teenager to identify in a particular way. The CDC continues to highlight poorer mental-health and safety outcomes among LGBTQ+ young people, making a supportive environment an important practical issue regardless of the latest percentage.

For families, small details count. A calm reaction, inclusive language and a clear message that home is safe can do more good than a debate about whether a statistic represents progress or backlash. Labels can be useful, but feeling secure comes first.

The numbers need watching, not weaponising

Further surveys should help show whether the 2025 result is a temporary correction after the pandemic-era rise or the beginning of a longer trend. Researchers will also need to examine differences by race, region, school setting and household background, rather than treating LGBTQ+ teenagers as one homogenous group.

There is another reason for caution: public-health data are being scrutinised more intensely, and confidence depends on transparent methods. LGBTQ+ Nation, The Washington Post and Them have all stressed the importance of interpreting the findings in context rather than presenting one striking figure as a verdict on young people's lives.

For now, the fairest conclusion is that something has changed among younger teenagers, especially ninth-grade girls, but nobody can yet say precisely why. Teenagers are complicated, thankfully. A single survey can't reduce that complexity to either a culture-war victory or a social emergency.

The best next step is better data, kinder conversations and fewer grand declarations.

It's a striking shift, but not a simple one.

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