A surprising new analysis of youth identity trends in the United States has revealed a notable decrease in the number of younger teenagers identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. The data, which has prompted a wide range of interpretations, points to a potentially complex shift in how Gen Z understands and expresses sexual orientation.
The findings come from an analysis of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University. According to her review, the most significant change occurred among ninth-grade girls (around 14-15 years old).
In the 2021 survey, 30% of girls in this age group identified as lesbian or bisexual. By the 2023 survey, that figure had dropped to 17%. The decline was particularly steep for those identifying as bisexual, which fell from 26% to 13% in the same two-year period.
The trend was less pronounced among older students. For twelfth-graders (around 17-18 years old), LGB identification saw a much smaller dip, from 18% to 16% between 2021 and 2023. This has led researchers and commentators to question what might be influencing younger teens specifically.
A Question of Labels, Not Identity?
Professor Twenge herself has described the reasons for the shift as a "mystery," acknowledging that the survey data shows what is happening, but not why. While some conservative commentators in the U.S. have seized on the data to suggest that rising LGBTQ+ identification was a temporary "social trend," others point to more nuanced possibilities that resonate within the queer community.
One prominent theory is that this is not a decline in queer identities, but rather a shift in the language used to describe them. The terms "lesbian," "gay," and "bisexual" may be seen by some younger members of Gen Z as too rigid or binary. Instead, they may be embracing more fluid or expansive labels not captured by the survey's questions, such as:
- Queer: An umbrella term that is intentionally broad and inclusive.
- Pansexual: An identity that explicitly includes attraction to people regardless of their gender.
- Unlabeled: A conscious choice to not apply a specific label to one's identity.
The Impact of a Hostile Climate
Another factor to consider is the increasingly hostile political environment for LGBTQ+ people in many parts of the United States. With a surge in anti-trans and anti-gay legislation, some experts speculate that it may feel less safe for young people to claim a specific queer identity publicly, even on an anonymous survey. This could lead to more teens identifying as "questioning" or simply opting out of labeling for safety and security.
The analysis also follows a separate 2023 report from the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, which suggested a similar decline in the percentage of university students identifying as trans or queer.
While this data is specific to the U.S., it opens up a relevant conversation for the community in the Netherlands and beyond. It serves as a reminder that the language of identity is constantly evolving, shaped by both cultural trends and the political realities we face. The way one generation understands itself is not always the same as the next, and this data may be one of the first signs of another evolution in our community's rich and diverse vocabulary.
