The Kids Are Alright: Data Finds Young Teens Less Likely To Identify As Gay

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that fewer high school-aged Americans are identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB).

The decline is largely driven by young women. According to the CDC’s Youth Risk Survey of U.S. 9th to 12th graders in 2025, there is a relative decline in LGB identification across each grade compared to two years earlier, according to a breakdown of the findings by San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge.

Seniors, ranging in age from 17 to 18, had the highest rate of LGB identification among the four grades measured, with 16 percent identifying as LGB. However, that was still two percentage points below the rate among seniors surveyed in 2023.

Each grade had a lower rate of LGB identification in 2025 than in 2023, with younger grades showing a decline. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that fewer high school-aged Americans are identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB).

The 9th graders, aged 14 and 15, had the lowest rate of LGB identification and the largest drop from previous years. While the CDC found that 17 percent of 9th graders identified as LGB in 2023, only 11 percent did in 2025. (Read more from “The Kids Are Alright: Data Finds Young Teens Less Likely To Identify As Gay” HERE)