US: The gayest generation? Research finds more millennials identify as LGBT

Millennials are either the gayest generation, or the most honest. A research report by the Public Religion Research Institute states that 7% of millennials identify themselves as either gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, a percentage that is more than twice the share of older Americans who identifies as something other than heterosexual.

The results were tucked into a massive report that examined millennials’ attitudes toward everything from sex education to the idea that marriage is an outdated institution. As a whole, the survey shows a cohort that has fewer non-negotiable stances than previous generations. “The survey paints a picture of a generation that is less likely to apply black-and-white rules,” PRRI CEO Dr. Robert Jones says. 

Reports on the LGBT population size have varied wildly ever since Alfred Kinsey's research in 1948 suggesting that 10% of men are gay. Kinsey’s research wound up being called into question years later, but the disparity between percentage of millennials that identify as LGBT and the percentage of older cohorts suggest changes in society may be making people feel comfortable to come out. Read More