One in four high school students identifies as non-heterosexual in the U.S.
According to recent data published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, around one in four high school students in the United States identify as something other than heterosexual. This marks a sharp rise from just four years ago when 85.4% of students identified as heterosexual. The 2021 survey of over 17,000 high school students found that 3.2% identified as gay or lesbian, 11.9% identified as bisexual, and 9% identified in another way, or were unsure. Female students were five times as likely to identify as bisexual as male students.
The numbers suggest that more teenagers are coming to terms with their sexuality at a young age, thanks in part to increased acceptance among their families and peers, as well as more opportunities to learn about LGBTQ+ people from various sources. Contrary to some beliefs, it does not seem that teenagers’ sexual orientation is strongly influenced by their local political surroundings. Almost all states showed heterosexual identification falling within 70-80%, except for Utah (85%), North Dakota (81%), Nevada (67.8%), and South Carolina, where no survey results were released.
The survey did not appear to include gender identity, but a 2017 CDC survey previously said that nearly 2% of high school students identified as trans at the time.
While experts attribute the rise in non-heterosexual identification to increased acceptance, others, such as Jay Richard, a senior research fellow at the conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation, argue that schools are playing a role in this growth. Some schools have begun teaching sex education as young as second grade, which has prompted pushback from Conservative lawmakers. Richard also claims that the increased political focus on social justice is incentivizing children to say they are not heterosexual, to seem “less plain.”
Despite some controversy and pushback, it is clear that teenagers are feeling more comfortable identifying as something other than heterosexual. It is important that this trend is met with further acceptance and support, both in schools and at home.
Sources:
- Yahoo! News
- Daily Mail
- Photo taken from WeAreTeachers