Researchers are examining a striking change in how American teenage girls describe their sexual orientation, with CDC-linked figures suggesting a steep fall among younger pupils between 2021 and 2025. The shift has prompted lively debate, but experts caution that one data point can't yet explain what’s driving it or whether the pattern will last.

Essential Takeaways

  • Younger girls show the biggest change: The share of ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual reportedly fell from 30% in 2021 to 17% in 2025.
  • Bisexual identification dropped sharply: Among ninth-grade girls, the proportion identifying as bisexual reportedly halved from 26% to 13%.
  • The pattern isn't uniform: Older teenage girls’ figures have been steadier and remain above pre-pandemic levels.
  • Researchers want more evidence: The available data doesn't establish whether attitudes, language, survey habits or social conditions caused the movement.
  • Health context still matters: CDC research continues to show that LGBTQ+ young people can face distinct mental-health and safety pressures.

A dramatic change among younger pupils

The clearest movement appears among ninth-grade girls. Figures cited by The Washington Post indicate that the proportion identifying as lesbian or bisexual fell from nearly one in three in 2021 to fewer than one in five in 2025, a sizeable shift in only four years. According to the CDC's Youth Risk Behaviour Survey materials, sexual identity is measured through self-reported responses, which makes the wording and context of the survey important. [2], [4]

The bisexual category appears to account for much of the change. The reported share dropped from 26% to 13%, while the number identifying as lesbian also declined. Those figures are attention-grabbing, but they describe how pupils answered at a particular moment, not necessarily a permanent change in identity. [2], [5]

Why the result needs careful reading

The trend is more complicated than a simple national swing. Reporting on the figures suggests older high-school girls haven't followed the same path, with their rates remaining relatively stable and still higher than before the pandemic. Boys' identification as gay or bisexual has also changed far less over the longer term. [2], [3]

That age gap matters because teenagers don't all encounter identity labels at the same stage. A younger pupil may use a label temporarily, choose a broader description later or answer differently as social language evolves. Survey results can capture those changes, but they can't, on their own, reveal the personal story behind each response. [2], [3]

The pandemic connection remains uncertain

The figures rose among high-school girls after the Covid-19 pandemic before moving downwards, according to reporting on the analysis. That timing has encouraged speculation about online culture, changing peer groups, school environments and the wider disruption caused by lockdowns. None of those explanations has been proved by the data. [2], [5]

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, told The Washington Post that the decline began before the change in presidential administration. That observation complicates attempts to pin the results on a single political event, especially when the available figures don't explain why younger and older girls appear to have moved differently. [2]

A falling figure doesn't erase health concerns

Whatever the reason for the change, the broader wellbeing picture still deserves attention. CDC guidance says LGBTQ+ young people can experience higher levels of bullying, sadness, suicidal thoughts and other health risks, often linked to stigma, discrimination and a lack of support rather than identity itself. [6], [7]

That distinction is easy to lose in a culture-war argument. A lower percentage in one survey shouldn't be treated as proof that every underlying problem has disappeared, just as a higher percentage wouldn't automatically signal a social crisis. For parents, teachers and youth organisations, a calm, supportive environment remains more useful than trying to force a headline from a single number. [6]

What happens next?

Researchers will need repeated surveys, consistent definitions and a closer look at age, sex, race, geography and school experience before they can say whether this is a lasting shift. It will also help to compare the results with other major surveys rather than relying on one series alone. [2], [3]

Walt Heyer, speaking to Fox News Digital, urged caution and said more research was needed before treating the figures as proof of a durable downward trend. That's the sensible note to end on. The numbers are significant enough to investigate, but not complete enough to settle the debate. [1]

A striking result deserves curiosity, not a premature conclusion.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

Sources by paragraph: