New federal data shows the share of ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual has fallen from 30% in 2021 to 17% in 2025, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures highlighted by The Washington Post. The share identifying as bisexual alone was cut in half over the same period, dropping from 26% to 13%.
The decline follows a sharp rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the number of high school girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual spiked before beginning its current retreat. Rates among older teenage girls have stayed relatively steady and remain above pre-pandemic levels. The share of boys identifying as gay or bisexual has barely moved in the past decade.
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University who analyzed the 2025 data on her Substack “Generation Tech,” told The Washington Post the downward trend started while Joe Biden was still president, which complicates any attempt to tie the shift to a change in the White House.
That hasn’t stopped some from drawing a connection to the current administration’s policy moves. Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, wrote on X: “Amazing what happens when you cut the Department of Education and USAID.”
The Washington Post noted the data offers no explanation for why a political transition, if it were the cause, would affect some age groups and not others.
Walt Heyer, who detransitioned 40 years ago after living as a woman for eight years and has written several books including “Trans Life Survivors,” urged caution. “It’s premature to celebrate this one report as proof of a downward trend,” Heyer told Fox News Digital. “Better to be skeptical and conduct more studies before we put this study in the win column.”
For now, the numbers stand as reported: a measurable reversal in how teenage girls describe their sexuality after years of rapid change, with researchers on both sides urging more data before anyone declares victory or defeat.
