In the US, the proportion of people who describe themselves as bisexual, homosexual, trans or in some other form of queer has increased. Especially in one generation, the proportion increases.
Washington – 7.1 percent of all citizens in the USA are said to belong to the LGBTQ community, according to a study by the US opinion institute Gallup. The results of the study were published on Thursday (02/17/2022) and are based on telephone surveys of more than 12,000 adults in the USA. The company wrote in a statement on its website.
The proportion has increased by more than half since 2012. Ten years ago, only 3.5 percent of respondents had a gender identity that was not heterosexual. According to the current survey, 86.3 percent of those surveyed said they identified as heterosexual. 6.6 percent are said to have given no information.
Queerness: The proportion of people beyond heteronormative gender identities is increasing
The opinion institute cited the reason for the increase that queer identities beyond heteronormative gender identities and sexual orientations had experienced greater acceptance in recent years.
This is also reflected in the results in the different age groups. Generation Z, who were born between 1997 and 2003, and the so-called Millennials, who were born between 1981 and 1996, represent the largest proportion of people who consider themselves part of the LGBTQ movement, at over 20 and 10 percent respectively. For comparison: among those surveyed born before 1946 and 1964, only 0.8 and 2.4 percent respectively describe themselves as non-heterosexual. More than 50 years ago, the Stonewall uprising sparked a worldwide movement for gay rights. (df)
The writer and philosopher Alexander Graeff explains what the term “queer” means – and advocates queer thinking.
Headline image: © John Lamparski / dpa
