Research Says Gen Z Is the Gayest Generation Yet

Things are getting gayer with each generation. At least that's what a recent study by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) found.

As reported by HuffPost, ONS found that almost 1 in 10 of all 16 to 24-year-olds are estimated to identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB).

The ONS also found that young people identifying as LGB was higher than any other age group, "compared to the 5.1% of 25 to 34-year-olds, and 3% of people aged 35 to 49, and 2% of 50 to 64-year-olds," HuffPost reports. "Research also found that the proportion of men identifying as LGB was 3.8% in 2022, up from 2.4% in 2017, while the proportion of women identifying as LGB was 3.0%, increasing from 1.8% in 2017."

Offering some insight into the percentages, ONS added: "The decrease in those identifying as heterosexual or straight may be attributed to more people exploring their sexual identity in combination with changing societal attitudes towards different groups and the expression of these today."

The results of the survey seem to support the view that "societal attitudes are changing in favour of diversity in sexual identity."

Robbie de Santos, director of communications at the LGBTQIA+ rights charity Stonewall, said it's encouraging that "more lesbian, bi and gay young people feel comfortable being their true selves."

"No one should have to hide who they are because they fear backlash or discrimination," he said. "While these statistics are welcome news, we must remember that LGBTQ+ people still face rising hate and increasing intolerance. The sad truth is that too many LGBTQ+ still feel unsafe simply for being themselves, and it's vital that we all keep on fighting for a brighter future."

Across the nations and regions of the UK, London reportedly had the highest proportion of people aged 16 and over identifying as LGB (one in 20 people).