Survey data released by Gallup on Monday shows the number of adults in the United States identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) fell slightly last year to 9 percent. The total number is down slightly since the survey was conducted in 2024, when the pollsters found 9.3 percent of Americans identified as LGBT.
Despite the slight decline in 2025, Gallup noted the current figure remains more than double the 3.5 percent of Americans researchers found identified as LGBT when they began conducting the survey in 2012.
Georgia-based researcher Jordan Lasker, who operates he pseudonymous X account Crémieux, noted that the data showed that the increase in LGBT-identifying Americans is strongest among young people, with 23 percent of those aged 18-29 identifying as LGBT, compared to just 2.3 percent of those aged 65 and over, and creating a 20.7 gap between the generations.
The generational gap was most pronounced through the number of self-identified bisexuals, which Gallup found constitute 16 percent of young people, with more than half of that figure being women. In comparison, just 0.7 percent of seniors reported identifying as bisexual.
Lasker noted the significant rise in bisexuality among young people helped drove about 74 percent of the total increase in self-identified LGBT Americans since 2012.
“The (mostly-female) increase in bisexuality is ~75 [percent] of the total raise,” he wrote, adding his analysis of the Gallup data in a chart.
While Lasker’s analysis showed 74.4 percent of the increase was driven by young people identifying as bisexual, an additional 14.5 percent came from young people identifying as transgender, while 10.6 came through lesbian self-identifications, and 7.7 percent from those who identify as gay.
Why has there been a rise in 'LGBTQ+ identities'?
Mostly because of women identifying themselves as bisexual.
The (mostly-female) increase in bisexuality is ~75% of the total rise! https://t.co/bFZghDwoE6 pic.twitter.com/O9jF5qmsuj
— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) February 17, 2026
The slight decline in overall LGBT identification comes as major companies have reportedly stepped back from supporting LGBT-themed events, including in Tennessee, where Pride Nashville last year announced a $250,000 shortfall in the budget for its annual parade due to an exodus of corporate sponsors.
Corporations who appeared to drop the Nashville Pride parade in 2025 included Nissan and Jack Daniel’s, though the company retained other benefactors, including AllianceBernstein, Bridgestone, Amazon, Cummins, the Nashville Predators, Journeys, the Tennessee Titans, Planned Parenthood, Verizon, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville College of Social Work, and the Nashville Soccer Club.
– – –
Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Christmas parade should have never been cancelled. No more pride parades!