The conversation about sexual orientation and gender identity in the United States is shifting—and the numbers show it. A recent Gallup telephone survey of more than 13,000 adults finds that 9 percent now identify as LGBTQ+, up sharply from 3.5 percent in 2012 and holding at a record level since. About 86 percent reported being heterosexual, while roughly 5 percent declined to answer.
Younger generations are driving much of the change. Nearly one in four adults under 30 (about 23 percent) say they are LGBTQ+, compared with roughly 10 percent of people aged 30–49 and about 3 percent or less among those 50 and older. As Generation Z ages into the adult population and appears more often in national samples, the
Several forces shape these long-term trends. Question wording and survey methods affect how people respond, but so do real shifts in social acceptance and greater willingness to disclose personal identities. Gallup plans further analysis to untangle regional, demographic, and methodological influences on the numbers.
The makeup of LGBTQ+ identification also varies across groups. Women report higher rates than men, driven in large part by increases in bisexual identification. Political affiliation and geography matter too: Democrats and urban residents are more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than Republicans and people in suburban or rural areas. Across racial and ethnic groups, proportions are broadly similar
Looking inside the umbrella: among those who identify as LGBTQ+, Gallup’s subgroup breakdown shows 58.6 percent identify as bisexual, 17.4 percent as gay, 16 percent as lesbian, and 12.1 percent as transgender; another 5.8 percent choose labels such as queer or pansexual. Because respondents could select multiple labels, these figures can add up to more than 100. Viewed across the full adult population, that translates to about 5.3 percent bisexual, 1.6 percent gay, 1.4 percent lesbian, 1.1 percent transgender, and 0.5 percent selecting other labels. Notably, bisexual identification has risen since Gallup began asking about specific identities in.
These shifts carry practical consequences. Growing LGBTQ+ representation—especially among women and in cities—affects demand for culturally competent health care, targeted social services, and community support. Political parties may retool messaging and outreach as their electorates change. Analysts stress that both local culture and survey design influence who feels comfortable claiming an identity publicly.
On the ground, health providers are already adapting. The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, for example, offers a wide array of services—primary care, mental health (including PTSD treatment), specialty clinics, audiology, oncology, dentistry, rehabilitation, palliative care and pharmacy services—aimed at veterans and their families. Facilities like Zablocki must balance 24/7 clinical operations with outpatient schedules, visitor policies, and privacy rules while ensuring care is welcoming and competent for LGBTQ+ patients.
Ultimately, the Gallup findings reflect a nation whose self-descriptions are evolving. Behind the statistics are changing attitudes, shifting demographics, and real consequences for health care, public policy, and community life.