A new survey confirms that a record number of young people in Gen Z — nearly half — identify with a sexual orientation other than “completely straight.” The survey joins a growing body of research showing growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities and a willingness to come out and be proud at a younger age.
Commissioned by condom and sex toy brand Durex, the Global Sex Survey interviewed 29,000 adults across 36 countries. 44% of survey participants aged 18-24 said they were “not totally straight.”
At the same time as more people are coming out as LGBTQ+, support for same-sex relationships has grown: The number of survey respondents who say it is acceptable to have a same-sex partner has increased by 34% since 2006.
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But breaking down the figures by country shows there is still room for growth: 69% of respondents in the Netherlands and Spain support same-sex relationships, compared with just 66% in the UK.
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The fact that Gen Z is not only more likely to be accepting of queer people, but also more likely to identify as queer themselves has been documented time and time again: Earlier this year, a Public Religion Research Institute study found that Gen Z is more likely to identify as queer than Republicans. Specifically, 28% of Gen Zers identify as on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, compared to just 21% of Republicans.
As for which letter of the alphabet mafia is most prevalent, Gallup’s poll found that, at least in the U.S., most LGBTQ+ people identify as bisexual. Overall, the percentage of people who identify as LGBTQ+ has more than doubled since Gallup began surveying them in 2012.
While more openly gay people are a sign of progress, this increased visibility also gives prejudices a target: Nearly half of LGBTQ+ 16-24 year-olds have been bullied because of their sexual orientation, and 25% have been bullied because of their gender identity, according to a recent YouGov poll.
In this sense, Gen Z may not be the haven of equality and acceptance we all hope for, but that queer young people continue to come out in record numbers, despite bullying and hate, speaks to the resilience of queer youth today.
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