Young women are identifying as less straight; young men, not so much

4 hours ago

LGBTQ+ identification has more than doubled since 2012, with 28.5% of Gen Z women identifying as LGBTQ+ in 2023 compared to 10.6% of Gen Z men.
Young women show a steady decline in exclusive heterosexuality from 2011 to 2026, with non-exclusive attraction to men rising from 22% to near 50%, while young men remain largely unchanged.
Gender norms constrain men to binary straight or gay identities, whereas women have more fluidity, moving across a spectrum of sexual attraction rather than shifting entirely to lesbian identities.
COVID-19 lockdowns accelerated but did not initiate the trend away from exclusive heterosexuality among women, which was already evident before 2020 and continued post-pandemic.
Feminist movements and LGBTQ+ visibility have expanded women's life options, challenging heteronormativity, but masculinity remains tied to heterosexual dominance, limiting similar shifts for men.
Societal backlash includes attempts to restore traditional gender roles (e.g., 'trad wife' femininity), reflecting uncertainty as expectations linking gender, sexuality, and adulthood weaken.

Hasty Briefsbeta