Teen Girls Are Shying Away From Lesbian, Bisexual Labels

Teen girls' self-identification as gay or bisexual isn't just slipping, it's plunging among the youngest high schoolers. Psychologist Jean Twenge's new look at CDC survey data finds that while rates for boys have stayed steady, ninth-grade girls are driving a sharp downturn: In 2021, 30% identified as lesbian or bisexual; by 2025, that figure had fallen to 17%. The steepest drop has been in bisexual identity, which fell from 26% of ninth-grade girls to 13%.

The Washington Post notes that conservative activists online cast the trend as a political victory under President Trump, but Twenge notes that the decline actually began during Joe Biden's term and mostly affects freshmen, not older teens. Other researchers are cautious, saying the data may not yet show a statistically solid shift and that what's behind the change remains uncertain. LGBTQ Nation features more research on how American youth identify.