The number of American adults who identify as LGBTQ has doubled over the past decade according to new Gallup polling. Over seven percent of adults now identify as something other than heterosexual.
The number is expected to continue to grow even more rapidly as younger Americans outnumber and replace older generations. The change was driven by younger adults who identify as bisexual.
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While the number of Gen X, Baby Boomers, and traditionalists held steady, the number of millennials edged up slightly to slightly over 10 percent. The percentage of Gen Z adults skyrocketed, almost doubling from 2017, up to over 20 percent. With part of Gen Z still under the age of 18 and younger people identifying more frequently as part of the LGBTQ community, experts predict the rate may rise even faster.
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More than half of respondents, 57 percent, identify as bisexual, extrapolating out to be approximately four percent of all U.S. adults.
21 percent of respondents said they were gay. 14 identified as lesbian, and 10 percent transgender. Four percent chose another answer. Earlier polling did not ask about specific identities.
Identifying as bisexual is most common for Gen Z, Gen X, and millennials. Older adults are as likely to identify as either gay or lesbian as they are bisexual.
