Portion of US adults identifying as LGBTQ has more than doubled in last 12 years

The portion of U.S. adults who identify as other than heterosexual has more than doubled since 2012, a Gallup poll has found, with young people leading the way – from Generation Z through the Silent Generation, each younger group is about twice as likely as the one before it to identify as LGBTQ+.

About 7.6% of U.S. adults now identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or as something other than heterosexual, the poll found. That’s compared to 5.6% four years ago and 3.5% in 2012, the year the national polling agency began measuring sexual orientation and transgender identity.

Should trends continue, the authors said, the share of LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. will exceed 10% within the next 30 years.

Brandon Robinson, an associate professor and department chair of gender and sexuality studies at the University of California, Riverside, said the growing numbers show that people sense greater societal acceptance and/or support systems for those who identify as LGBTQ+.

"More people identifying as LGBTQ is often a sign that more people feel safe and/or comfortable to openly claim an LGBTQ identity," they said.