Feb. 18 (UPI) — The percentage of American adults who identify as something other than heterosexual has hit a record 7.1%, according to a new Gallup poll.
The survey conducted via telephone, and the results published Thursday, found that the number of people who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender or something other than heterosexual has doubled over the last decade.
“The increase in LGBT identification in recent years largely reflects the higher prevalence of such identities among the youngest U.S. adults compared with the older generations they are replacing in the U.S. adult population,” the research firm said.
Nearly 21% of adult Generation Z Americans, meaning those born between 1997 and 2003, identify as LGBT, which is double that of Millennials and accounts for roughly one in five people in this demographic, according to the survey.
It continues that while the number of younger adults who identify as LGBT has been increasing, older demographics have stayed relatively the same when compared to previous Gallup polls.
The research company stated that if this trend continues, the proportion of U.S. adults who identify as LGBT will continue to grow as the number of Generation Z children enter adulthood.
“With one in 10 millennials and one in five Gen Z members identifying as LGBT, the proportion of LGBT Americans should exceed 10% in the near future,” Gallup said.
Among those who identify as LGBT, 57% said they are bisexual, which equals about 4% of all U.S. adults. Another 21% said they are gay, 14% lesbian, 10% transgender and 4% something other.
Sara Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD, which seeks to improve the acceptance of LGBT people, said that more Americans have identified as other than heterosexual due to the increase in visibility, representation and equality.
“But the new data shows that we also have a lot of catching up to do before LGBTQ representation meets the needs of Gen Z,” she said via Twitter. “The facts are clear: our community is growing, and we will take our seat at the table.”
