7.2% of the population now identifies as LGBTQ+. Why this sudden jump?

Last Friday, Gallup published an article on a poll it conducted regarding the percentage of the population that identifies as LGBTQ+. There were several interesting trends that it uncovered.

7.2% of the population now identifies as LGBTQ+. Gallup’s polling now includes the identifiers “queer,” “pansexual,” and “asexual,” which broadened the spectrum somewhat.

The disparity in generations is stark. The cohort aged 19-26, a portion of Gen Z, has the most people claiming to be LGBTQ+ — 20.8% of the Zoomers they polled claimed to be on the spectrum of sexual identities. This is compared to only 10.5% of Millennials, 4.2% of Gen X, and 2.6% of Boomers.

Another interesting trend that was worth noting was the palpable jump in identifying as LGBTQ+. In 2017, only 4.5% of the population claimed this identity, and that remained steady until 2020…