Teen Girls Identifying as Lesbian or Bisexual Plummets in Four Years, Data Shows

The number of teenage girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual has seen a substantial decline over the past four years, according to data highlighted by The Washington Post. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data indicates that the share of ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual dropped from 30% in 2021 to 17% in 2025. Specifically, those identifying as bisexual alone fell by half, from 26% to 13% during the same period.

In contrast, the percentage of boys identifying as gay or bisexual has remained relatively stable over the last decade. The Post reported that the surge in high school girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual following the COVID-19 pandemic has now begun to reverse.

While the overall numbers have decreased, the percentages among older teenage girls have remained largely consistent and are still higher than pre-pandemic levels. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, noted that this downward trend began while the Biden administration was in office, suggesting the shift may not be solely attributable to changes in presidential administrations.

Some commentators have linked the trend to policy changes. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, posted on X, "Amazing what happens when you cut the Department of Education and USAID." However, the available data does not provide a clear explanation for why such a shift would affect certain age groups differently, according to The Washington Post.

Researchers caution against drawing definitive conclusions from the current findings. Walt Heyer, who detransitioned decades ago and has authored books on the topic, told Fox News Digital that more research is necessary to determine if this represents a lasting change. "It's premature to celebrate this one report as proof of a downward trend," Heyer stated. "Better to be skeptical and conduct more studies before we put this study in the win column."