'Society is changing': A record 5.6% of US adults identify as LGBTQ, poll shows

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A record number of U.S. adults – 5.6% – identify as LGBTQ, an increase propelled by a younger generation staking out its presence in the world, a poll released Wednesday shows.

The survey by Gallup marks more than a 1 percentage point jump from the last poll in 2017 in which 4.5% of adults identified as LGBTQ.

The estimated 18 million adults who identify as LGBTQ represent a continued upward trajectory since Gallup started tracking identification in 2012, Gallup senior editor Jeff Jones said.

"It reflects what we are seeing in society and the way society is changing,” he said.

One of the biggest headlines in the 2020 poll is the emergence of Generation Z adults, those 18 to 23: 1 in 6, or 15.9%, identify as LGBTQ. In each older generation, LGBTQ identification is lower, including 2% or less of respondents born before 1965.

For the first time, Gallup queried respondents on their precise sexual orientation, rather than a simple yes or no on whether someone identified as LGBTQ, allowing more insight into identity, Jones said.

Among LGBTQ adults, a majority or 54.6% identify as bisexual, the poll shows. About a quarter, or 24.5%, identify as gay; 11.7% as lesbian; 11.3% as transgender.

Generation Z again leads the way: 72% who identify as LGBTQ say they are bisexual.

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There are gender differences as well:

• Women are more likely than men to identify as LGBTQ (6.4% vs 4.9%.)

• Women are more likely to identify as bisexual than men (4.3% vs 1.8%.)

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