A new Gallup poll has revealed that people within the LGBTQ+ community are coming out nearly a decade earlier than previous generations, which may highlight a shift toward greater societal acceptance.
Early Coming Out Age
A new Gallup poll on young LGBTQ+ Americans says they are coming out nearly a decade earlier than LGBTQ+ seniors, reflecting a societal shift towards greater acceptance.
The report asked young LGBTQ+ adults when they publicly came out and found the median coming-out age for those aged 18-29 is 17, compared to late 20s for those aged 65 and older.
Most participants questioned said they believe that societal treatment of LGBTQ+ people has greatly improved over the past decade, with younger respondents more likely to report positive changes.
The report also said that seventy percent of the U.S. population believes that the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community has improved over the last ten years, including adults both inside and outside of the LGBTQ+ community.
Gallup stated that the median age for recognizing one’s LGBTQ+ identity is 14, with slight variations across different age groups, but 70% are aware by the time they turn 18.
After recognizing their identity, 71% of LGBTQ+ adults came out before turning 30, and 57% said they had come out by the time they reached 22 years old.
The report also showed that LGBTQ+ women are more than twice as likely as men to come out by age 14, but the median coming-out age for both men and women is 19.
However, one in four LGBTQ+ adults report experiencing poor treatment or harassment in the past year, and only 45% said they received no ill-treatment.
Discrimination and Harassment Statistics
Bisexual adults are less likely to experience harassment, with only 20% reporting these negative experiences when compared to 36% of gay or lesbian adults.
A significant proportion of bisexual individuals, 23%, have also never come out to anyone before, which could play a role in the lack of discrimination they faced, especially when compared to the 5% of gay or lesbian people who haven’t come out.
The Gallup poll indicates that LGBTQ+ people feel the societal treatment has improved, but one in five still believe it has actually worsened over time instead of improved.
Despite the worries and fears that things may be getting worse for the LGBTQ+ community, younger groups are slightly more optimistic about these changes compared to older groups.
While things are still obviously not perfect, and there is much work to be done, many government officials across the country are working on policies and bills to push this progress even further.
“Since I took office, we expanded the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to cover the LGBTQ+ community, established the Michigan LGBTQ+ Advisory Council, and banned conversion therapy for minors,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a statement. Whitmer then went on to say, “Our work is not done as we continue to make progress and move Michigan forward.”
The Human Rights Campaign also noted that federal LGBTQ+ protections increased greatly under President Joe Biden compared to President Donald Trump.
Reinstating Protections
During his administration, Biden has reinstated rules protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, aligning better with the Supreme Court’s decision on LGBTQ+ rights.
Michigan also banned the “gay panic” or “trans panic” legal defenses, which prevent defendants from justifying violent reactions to unwanted sexual advances.
Unsurprisingly, LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. has grown significantly in the twenty-first century, with 7.6% of U.S. adults identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, and younger generations are seeing steady increases.
Featured Image Credit: Pexel / Rosemary Ketchum.
