New research has found that more adults identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender than ever before.
According to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday, 5.6% of adults in the United States identify themselves as LGBT. That’s 4.5% higher, based on the company’s 2017 data. In 2012, when Gallup started to monitor the measure, that number was 3.5%.
For the first time, Gallup also asked respondents to indicate their precise sexual orientation, instead of answering “yes” or “no” to identifying themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
The survey found that more than half of LGBT adults (54.6%) identify themselves as bisexual, about a quarter (24.5%) as gay, 11.7% as lesbian and 11.3% as transsexual. Another 3.3% used a different non-heterosexual term to describe their sexual orientation, such as homosexual or same-sex lover. Respondents can give several answers, bringing the total to more than 100%.
Notably, the generational group that has the highest percentage of people who identify themselves as LGBT is the youngest – Generation Z (born from 1997 to 2002) – with 15.9%. This compares to 9.1% of millennials (born from 1981 to 1996), 3.8% of Generation X (born from 1965 to 1980), 2% of baby boomers (born from 1946 to 1964) and 1.3% traditionalists (born before 1946).
“One of the main reasons why LGBT identification has increased over time is that younger generations are much more likely to see themselves as something other than heterosexuals,” said Gallup.
Most Generation Z adults who identify as LGBT say they are bisexual (72%), the survey found. That would mean that 11.5% of Generation Z adults in the U.S. are bisexual, Gallup concluded.
The rise in the nation’s LGBT population came as no surprise to Samantha Johnson, manager of New York Pride youth events, which organizes one of the world’s largest annual pride marches.
“We are breaking generational curses,” like homophobia at home and in schools, Johnson told ABC News. “Visibility in the media and at events like the New York Pride – these are all factors that contribute to these numbers.”
Johnson witnessed firsthand a growing enthusiasm among LGBT youth. In 2017, NYC Pride started hosting the Youth Pride, aimed at children aged 13 to 24, as part of the month-long Pride festivities. That first year brought 1,500 people, she said. The following year, there were 3,000. In 2019, the free event moved to Central Park, where more than 10,000 people attended.
Last year’s NYC Pride was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Johnson is working to host the Youth Pride virtually this year, on June 26th.
“We are here to provide a safe space for this generation to move on to the next generation,” she said.
The latest results from the Gallup survey were based on more than 15,000 interviews conducted in 2020 with Americans aged 18 and over and may be an underestimate due to “older Americans not wanting to recognize an LGBT orientation,” he said.
“This research confirms what we have known for a long time – that the LGBTQ community is powerful and a growing force in the United States and around the world,” said President of the Campaign for Human Rights, Alphonso David, in a statement. “Young adults, in particular, feel empowered to publicly claim their identities – a convincing discovery and validation for previous generations of LGBTQ advocates who have long struggled for total equality.”
Amid the findings, David asked Congress to approve the Equality Act “to ensure consistent and explicit protections against discrimination for LGBTQ people in all areas of life”.
Comprehensive legislation, which Congressional Equality Caucus introduced in the House last week, protects LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace, housing, services and public accommodation.
President Joe Biden also asked Congress to approve the bill. “Nobody should face discrimination or live in fear because of who they are or who they love,” he said in a statement.
Tony Morrison and Robert Zepeda of ABC News contributed to this report.