A new poll found that more adults identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender than ever before.
According to a Gallup poll released Wednesday, 5.6% of American adults identify themselves as LGBT. This is 4.5% higher, based on the company’s 2017 data. In 2012, when Gallup followed the benchmark, it was 3.5%.
For the first time, Gallup also asked respondents to indicate their exact sexual orientation, as opposed to answering “yes” or “no” whether they identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
The survey found that more than half of LGBT adults (54.6%) identify as bisexual, about a quarter (24.5%) as gay, 11.7% as lesbian and 11.3% as transgender. An additional 3.3% use another non-heterosexual term to describe their sexual orientation, such as queer or loving same-sex couples. Respondents can give several answers, bringing the total to more than 100%.
The generation group with the highest percentage of people who identify themselves as LGBT is especially the youngest – Generation Z (born 1997 to 2002) – with 15.9%. This compares with 9.1% of millennials (born 1981 to 1996), 3.8% of Generation X (born 1965 to 1980), 2% of baby boomers (born 1946 to 1964) and 1.3% of traditionalist (born before 1946).
“One of the main reasons why LGBT identification has increased over time is that younger generations consider themselves much more than something other than heterosexual,” Gallup said.
The survey found that most Gen Z adults who identify themselves as LGBT say they are bisexual (72%). That would mean 11.5% of Gen Z adults in the U.S. are bisexual, Gallup determined.
The increase in the country’s LGBT population was not surprising to Samantha Johnson, event manager of youth-focused events for NYC Pride, which organizes one of the largest annual pride marches in the world.
“We’re breaking generational curses” like homophobia in the household and schools, Johnson told ABC News. “The visibility within media and events like NYC Pride – that’s all that contributes to these numbers.”
Johnson saw firsthand a growing enthusiasm among LGBT youth. In 2017, NYC Pride began hosting Youth Pride, aimed at ages 13 to 24, as part of its month-long pride. The first year brought 1,500 people to the fore, she said. The following year there were 3,000. In 2019, the free event moved to Central Park, where more than 10,000 people attended.
Last year’s NYC Pride was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Johnson is working to host Youth Pride virtually on June 26 this year.
“We are here to provide a safe space for this generation to pass on to the next generation,” she said.
The latest results of the Gallup poll are based on more than 15,000 interviews conducted with Americans aged 18 and older in 2020, and this may be an underestimation due to older Americans who do not want an LGBT orientation do not recognize ‘, it is said.
“This poll confirms what we have known for a long time – that the LGBTQ community is powerful and has a growing power in the United States and around the world,” Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. “Young adults feel particularly empowered to claim their identities in public – a compelling finding and affirmation for past generations of LGBTQ advocates who have long fought for full equality.”
Amid the findings, David called on Congress to pass the Equality Act “to ensure consistent and explicit protection against discrimination for LGBTQ people in all walks of life.”
The comprehensive legislation, introduced by the Congressional Equality Caucus in the House last week, protects LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace, housing, service and public accommodation.
President Joe Biden also called on Congress to approve the bill. “No one should ever face discrimination or live in fear because of who they are or who they love,” he said in a statement.
ABC News’ Tony Morrison and Robert Zepeda contributed to this report.