CDC Data Shows Decline in LGB Identification Among U.S. Teenage Girls

New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates a notable decrease in the number of teenage girls identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. An analysis of the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey by psychology professor Jean Twenge shows that LGB identification among ninth-grade girls dropped from 30% in 2021 to 17% in 2025. The decline was less significant among older students, with 12th-grade identification falling from 18% in 2023 to 16% in 2025.

Researchers and commentators are debating the factors behind this shift. While Twenge suggests the trend may reflect a broader generational change, she noted that the specific causes remain unclear. Some observers, including Glenn T. Stanton of Focus on the Family, suggest that the previous rise in such identifications may have been influenced by social trends or cultural fads that are now losing momentum. Others argue that the shift could be linked to evolving social attitudes toward gender and sexuality, though experts caution that the current data does not provide a definitive explanation for the decline.