Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited by The Washington Post show a decline from 2021 to 2025 in the share of ninth-grade girls who identify as lesbian or bisexual. The figure fell from 30% to 17%, while the share identifying as bisexual dropped from 26% to 13%, according to the report.
The Washington Post reported that identification rates among older teenage girls have remained comparatively steady and above pre-pandemic levels. It also said the share of high school girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual had risen after the COVID-19 pandemic before falling. The source says figures for boys identifying as gay or bisexual have changed little over the past decade.
Psychology professor Jean Twenge told the newspaper that the decline began during the Biden administration, a timing that complicates claims that a change in presidential administrations explains the shift. The report also noted that the available data does not establish why the change may vary by age group.
Walt Heyer, speaking to Fox News Digital, urged caution, saying more research is needed before treating one report as evidence of a lasting downward trend. The figures describe reported identification; the supplied reporting does not establish the reasons behind the changes.
